Nine Months
by Jedi Princess Jainakin
Summary: Kate has some life changing news to share with her husband. This story will follow nine important months in the lives of Caskett. Rated for slight language and some suggestive situations. Takes place post-S7, speculative S8
1. Month One

**a.n. I'm a newcomer to the _Castle_ fandom. In fact, I spent the last month binge watching the entire series to prepare for the new season next week. I got hooked on it and have spent the last week reading some of the fics for the series on this site. I have read many that I've thoroughly enjoyed and for that, I thank all the various authors for their wonderful writing.**

 **That being said, this is the first thing I've ever written for the series, so I hope it does the characters justice. I shouldn't be starting any new fics, but I couldn't help myself. I will try to update quickly, but there are no promises. There should only be about nine chapters of this fic and I hope you all enjoy each and everyone. I would appreciate any feedback you may have. So please, read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

 _Nine Months_

 **Month One**

"Hey Kate, what's wrong?" Kate was startled out of her internal musings and looked up at her husband from her place on their bed. She watched as he moved towards her from the bathroom, his eyes full of concern. She had been hoping that he wouldn't notice her contemplation just yet. Why did the man have to be so good at reading her?

"What makes you think there's something wrong?" As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she winced. _Damn it. Good job Kate. Now he knows there's something you're not telling him. Rookie mistake._ She looked up at his face, his ruggedly handsome face that only projected concern and love for her. She knew he wanted to ask a thousand more questions but he would wait patiently for her, not pushing her until she was ready to talk. If there was one thing they had learned in all of their years together, it was to have faith that their partner would never keep anything important bottled up inside for long. They had learned that the hard way. Several times.

Signing, she patted the bed next to her and it was only a split second later that she felt the bed dip as he crawled in and took his place by her side. Placing herself as close to his side as she could, she interlaced his fingers with his. Her nerves calmed instantly when his large hand gently squeezed her smaller one in reassurance. With that small measure of comfort, she breathed in deeply and looked up at him. She drew comfort from the loving look she saw in his blue eyes.

"I've been thinking…"

"Kate Beckett thinking? That's never good." She glared at him, though the fierce image she was trying to portray was broken by the slight upturn of her lips and his adorable smirk.

"Joke all you want, writer-boy, but we both know that it's the crazy thoughts _you_ and your writer's mind come up with that always get us into trouble." He scoffed at her words and she interrupted before he had a chance to say anything. "I'm not the one who tries to solve cases by coming up with wild theories involving the CIA, the mob, conspiracies, cover-ups, aliens, ninjas, ghosts…"

"I was right with the ninja thing, if you recall. And some of those other so-called 'wild theories' ended up being on the nose as well." She only shrugged in dismissal. _He really is cute when he gets riled up._

"If you say so, babe." She grew quiet and was glad that Castle had at least the sense to remain silent while she contemplated her next words. She pulled their joined hands into her lap and used her thumb to rub soothing circles on his. She was glad that Rick knew her well enough to know that she just needed some time to collect her thoughts. He must have sensed that whatever she was going to say, it was going to be big and he wanted to give her the time to sort everything out.

"As you know, there have been a lot of major life changes that have happened to us in the last couple of years. You disappearing, us getting married, my promotion, your mom moving out, Alexis graduating and getting her own place. Plus all of the cases we've closed together." She couldn't say it, but she knew that he was thinking the same thing she was.

Tyson and Neiman.

Bracken.

Enemies who had hunted them, who had harmed them, who had threatened their lives and those of their loved ones over and over again, and who had ultimately been brought to justice by their combined efforts.

Always a team, the two of them. There had never been a case too terrible or too difficult to solve when brought against their collective forces. They were of one mind sometimes and his stunning wit and intellect perfectly complemented her fierce determination and will power. Together, they were nearly unstoppable. These musings gave her the courage to continue.

"Rick, there have been a lot of changes in our lives, some good and some bad, but no matter what has happened, we've always stood by each other, leaned on one another, gave each other advice and encouragement whenever we needed it. We make a good team, you and I, and we've overcome whatever challenge has been thrown our way. But there's one challenge we've yet to face, one life changing moment we've yet to experience." She melted at the adorably befuddled expression on her husband's face. She took a deep breath.

"What would you say if our team gained a new member?" She paused and watched his face for any reaction to her words. It took a moment for what she said to sink in and she was fascinated by the array of emotions that played across her husband's face. First was the confusion, then the comprehension. Then came the shock and, finally, what looked like elation as his face broke out in a gloriously charming smile.

"Kate…are you…did you just say…?" His stammering tugged at her heartstrings and she nodded slowly. She felt a big grin make its way to her face as she shared in his enthusiasm. He startled her when he let out a whoop of joy and jumped out of the bed, flitting to and fro about the room. She watched, amused as his antics continued for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he returned to his spot on the bed beside her and pulled her to him, arms wrapped tight around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and placed one arm on his chest. She could feel his heart beating in excitement and hers responded in earnest.

"I can't…how…when…" His voice was reverent, still in awe at her announcement and she took the moment to tease him.

"You're a big boy, Castle. I don't think I have to explain the 'how' to you." She grinned up at him and she hummed in pleasure as he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lip. They broke apart too soon for her liking, and she continued with a smile on her face as he stared down at her. "As for the 'when', a few weeks ago at the most."

"And you're sure?" She couldn't help her tender smile as he turned serious. She reached one arm up to cup his cheek and his head turned into her touch.

"Yes Castle, I'm sure. I have about half a dozen tests to prove it too. And I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to get it confirmed." She hesitated just slightly. "Would you like to come?" The look on his face told her that he felt as if his wildest dreams had just come true.

"Nothing would make me happier, Kate." They both reached over to turn off their bedside lamps before returning to their loving embrace. He pulled them both down to lay side by side, still holding her close to him, and pulled the covers over them. She snuggled into his side as he squeezed her closer and dropped a kiss to her head.

She had almost drifted off to sleep when the sound of his voice pulled her back.

"We're having a baby, Kate."

"We're having a baby, Castle," she confirmed, "now go to sleep."

"Yes dear."

As Rick settled in next to her, she closed her eyes. Just before her mind drifted off to dreamland, she felt the gentle touch of his hand splay across her abdomen, tenderly cupping the tiny life now growing inside.

She smiled.


	2. Month Two

**a.n. I would like to thank everyone for the reviews and the favorites and the follows and for giving me such a warm welcome into the fandom! I'm glad you all have faith in me and I'll make sure that it's justified.**

 **As for the story, I've been so inspired by this couple and your words that I think the chapters are going to come quickly, much more so than any other story I've written. I'll probably be posting one or two chapters a day. I'm having too much fun not to!**

 **Now, I won't delay any longer and let you get to it. So please, read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Month Two**

"Castle?" Her voice was weak from sleep. When she didn't receive a response, she tried again, this time louder. "Castle?" She heard shuffling coming from the vicinity of the living room and she was tempted to get up to track down her husband, but she was too exhausted and feeling too poorly to even lift her head up off her pillow. Sighing, she buried herself in the bed and closed her eyes, hoping to get some sleep in spite of the protest from her stomach.

It had to have only been a few moments later when she found herself being woken up by a gentle hand on her shoulder. Turning toward the offending person, she groaned. _If Castle came to wake me up to show me the newest baby things he just purchased, again, I swear I'll…_

"Katherine?" The soft feminine voice that greeted her, rather than the deep gentle timbre of her husband, eased her frustration at being woken up and she opened her eyes to the visage of her mother-in-law.

"Martha?" The older woman smiled down at her.

"I'm sorry to have to wake you up like this Katherine." There was a sincere hint of regret in her voice and Kate pulled herself up to sit against the headboard, yawning.

"It's okay, Martha." Her voice was full of sincerity as she gave her mother-in-law a tired smile. "What's wrong?"

"Richard asked me to make sure that you had something to eat if he didn't get back before I came over. I was hoping that you'd be awake and when I saw you weren't, I was tempted to just let you sleep. But I did promise Richard…"

"Don't worry, Martha," Kate stated gently, cutting the older woman off. "It's fine. I think I've gotten too much sleep as it is."

"Nonsense, dear," Martha scoffed. "You're pregnant. You're growing another life inside of you. That's tiring work. Trust me, I know." She gave Kate a conspiratorial grin and Kate grinned back. "Now is your time. Do what you need to do. Sleep if you feel like it. Eat when you have the urge. Your body knows what it's doing, even if you don't think you do. Trust your instincts. From what I've learned about you, you're good at doing that. You've always done that before. Why should this time be any different?" An easy silence fell across the two women as Kate absorbed her words. She always had liked Martha, even before she and Castle had started dating. There was just something about the woman that made it easy to talk to her about anything really. She was always full of advice from her many years of experience, both on and off the stage. Even if Rick sometimes complained about her often unsolicited advice, she knew that he usually appreciated what she had to say. Speaking of Rick…

"Where is Rick anyway?" Martha waved her hand towards the door noncommittally.

"Oh who knows. You know how easily distracted Richard can get, Katherine. He probably got some notion or other in his head or some foolish idea and he just had to dash off to see it through. I'm sure he'll be back soon though."

"Oh." Kate was hoping she didn't sound disappointed that her husband wasn't there but her stomach was queasy and she was feeling terrible. She learned fairly quickly in her pregnancy that Rick's presence often helped alleviate some of the worst symptoms and he did whatever he could to help her, whether it was back rubs or foot massages or drawing her a warm and bubbly bath.

Her fluctuating emotions didn't help the matters any. She would inexplicably go from being happy at one moment to angry the next to inconsolable the moment after that. Fortunately, Rick was exhaustingly and enduringly patient with her and did whatever he could to help her through the turbulent moods she was experiencing.

"Don't worry, Katherine," Martha seemed to sense something more to her daughter-in-law's mood and placed a calming hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "It's nothing to worry about, I'm sure. He called me just before he left to ask me to come over and keep you company and to make sure that you ate something and were getting some sleep." Kate snorted at the insinuation that her husband thought she couldn't take care of herself.

"I can take care of myself, Martha. I'm not a child or an invalid." She knew she sounded a bit hostile and that the woman in front of her was not the object of her frustrations. But the man who was was nowhere to be found at the moment so she sought out the closest target. "Castle doesn't need to worry about me. I'm just fine."

"I know that dear and he knows it too. He just loves you and wants you to be happy. He knows that the last few weeks have been hard on you, especially with the morning sickness. He just wants to make this time as easy on you as possible. My advice is to let him." Kate sniffed as she realized the truth of the redhead's words. She knew Rick, as annoying as it was for him to be waiting on her hand and foot, was only trying to help. While she believed her anger towards his hovering presence was justified, she did appreciate all of the effort he was going through to make things less difficult for her.

"It's just…frustrating, Martha, you know? I'm not used to feeling this way. Sure, I've been sick before and I've been laid up in bed for days, even weeks on end, but this is different. I just feel so…helpless." The tears were starting to come, but she refused to let the other woman see them. She never cried in front of anyone, not since her mother died.

Anyone except Rick. And now he wasn't even here to help her deal with all of her frustrating and conflicting emotions.

She was only mildly surprised when she felt the warm arm wrap itself around her and she looked up to see Martha's smiling face looking at her warmly.

"It's all right, Katherine. This is a very emotional time for all women, trust me. It's a big change in a short amount of time; no one would begrudge you for the way you're feeling right now. Feeling helpless…it's not a great feeling. Especially for strong, independent women like the two of us. You remind me a lot of myself, Katherine." Kate stayed quiet as Martha's voice took on a more serious tone. "When I was pregnant with Richard, I was alone. I had always considered myself a strong woman, able to take care of myself in spite of whatever the world threw at me. Yet, those nine months were some of the scariest times of my life and I felt like I could, and would, collapse at any time. It was tough most days and there were times when I didn't know what I would do or even if I could do it all alone. But," a wistful gleam was in her eye, "I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world. I made it through and I came out in the end even stronger than ever. And richer and more fulfilled than I ever thought possible." Martha squeezed Kate slightly as her voice took a more upbeat tone.

"This will be a very rewarding time for you as well. You'll have this time to feel your child grow and develop inside you. The knowledge that you have another life inside you, a brand new life forged from the love between two people who care about each other deeply, is both scary and awe-inspiring. That connection that you are forming with your child right now as we speak…that connection is something that you will never lose, even once your child is grown and living his own life with his own family, close to home or miles apart. Even if that baby never completely grows up and stays an irrepressible man-child." They both shared an amused grin at that and Kate was thankful for the chat. She felt much better after the talk with her mother-in-law. Martha was right. She was strong. She could do this.

"And don't forget, dear, you have something that I never had." Kate looked at Martha curiously. "A husband that loves you dearly and would do anything to keep you happy." The older woman's admission threw Kate a little and she opened her mouth to speak but Martha put a hand up to stop her.

"Don't worry about me, Katherine. I've made my peace with it. Like I said, I wouldn't trade all those months and years for anything. I made it through and you will too. You have Richard. You have me and Alexis. You have your father. You have all of your friends at the precinct. You have us all, Katherine, and we will all be here with you and for you, whenever you may need us. It's all right to need some help from time to time. Don't be afraid to ask." There was a hint of finality in that statement as Martha removed her arm and stood back up at the side of the bed.

"Now, how about some lunch? I know I'm not the chef that Richard is, but I'm sure I can manage to throw together something edible. After all, as an actor, I certainly know how to improvise." Kate smiled brightly as Martha retreated to the door.

"Sounds good, Martha. I'll be out in a minute to help you." She started to move out of the bed but Martha's voice stopped her.

"Nonsense, dear. You stay there and get some more sleep. I'll bring you something to eat when it's ready. I wouldn't want Richard accusing me of making you overexert yourself." The two women grinned and Kate settled back into bed as she watched Martha walk out of the room. The door clicked softly as it closed and Kate once more buried herself in the sheets and drifted off to sleep, her mind and heart settled and at peace.


	3. Month Three

**a.n. I was hoping to get this posted last night, but due to its length, I needed some extra time to edit it. So you get a very early post before I go to work instead!**

 **I didn't intend for this to be as long as it is (it sits a just over 3,200 words) or as heavy as it ended up being, but it sort of got away from me (as I'm finding out with every chapter so far). I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.**

 **I know Kate is a little insecure here, more so than she was the last chapter, but it was necessary for this chapter to progress the way it needed to. I'm going to blame it on the pregnancy hormones. I did try to make it believable though, so I hope she's not too OOC.**

 **Anyway, I've enjoyed reading all of your wonderful comments and all of the follows/favorites. You guys are so awesome! Please read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Month Three**

"How about this one?" Kate turned around and found her stepdaughter standing near a section of baby clothes. In her hands she was holding up a yellow-striped onesie decorated with ducks. She smiled at the redhead.

"Cute, but let's keep looking." Shrugging her shoulders, the younger woman continued perusing the countless tiny clothes and accessories. Kate watched her for a moment before returning her attention back to the seemingly endless rows of baby furniture in front of her. She wandered up and down, noting how many different kinds and styles of cribs, bassinets, changing tables, and rocking chairs there were. There were so many to choose from; how could she know what she needed? She'd never done this before; she needed Rick. She couldn't do it alone.

 _Rick, where are you when I need you? I can't do this, not without you._

"Kate? Are you okay?" The concerned voice behind her startled her and she jumped slightly. Quickly composing herself, she looked behind her at Alexis, a forced smile on her face.

"Of course I am, Alexis. Why wouldn't I be?" She could tell that the other woman didn't believe her just by the look on her face, a look accented by the slightly upturned eyebrow. A look that wasn't unlike the one Kate often received from the girl's father when he knew that she was hiding something from him. Noticing the similarities between her husband and his daughter, coupled with her already delicate emotions, were enough for the fragile barrier inside of her to break and the tears threatened to come. _No. I can't do this here, not now. Not in front of Alexis._

Yet, despite her best efforts, the other woman seemed to pick up on her inner turmoil. "Oh, Kate," Alexis sympathized, "come on. Let's go."

"But we haven't…"

"The shopping can wait. We need to get out of here. Go someplace else. And I know just the place to go."

* * *

"Feel any better?" The two of them were sitting in a pair of familiar swings in a similarly familiar park.

Kate took a couple of deep breaths before answering.

"Yes. Thank you." The young redhead just smiled at her. "How did you know to bring me here?"

Alexis swung gently in her own swing as she looked around. "Dad told me about this place a couple of times. He told me that these swings bore witness to the most important events of your relationship. He even told me that he proposed to you here." Kate nodded slightly. "I still don't forgive him for not making it more romantic," Alexis huffed. "Who proposes to the love of their life in a playground?" Hearing Alexis tease and chastise her currently absent father like that improved her mood and she cracked a small smile.

"Why Richard Castle, of course. When has he ever followed the rules or traditions? Romantic gestures and proposals included?" The two of them sat in companionable silence for a long while, before Alexis spoke up again.

"Do you want to tell me what that was all about?" Kate hesitated. Sure, she had had heart-to-heart talks with Alexis before; usually, she was on the receiving end of the younger woman's questions about school, boys, and life in general. She had always been good-natured and honest about it, knowing that Alexis appreciated her forthrightness and wouldn't sugarcoat anything just to spare her feelings.

But that was different. Alexis was a young woman seeking advice from someone she admired, someone she had grown to love and trust. Kate was a grown woman who was used to handling things on her own. In fact, she rarely opened up to anyone besides her husband and even then it was usually a long time coming. Yet, the look in her stepdaughter's eyes, again a look so similar to her father's, had Kate rethinking things. She had seen for herself how alike Rick and Alexis were; if she could open up to her husband, she could certainly do so to his daughter.

"I…don't know," Kate started. Alexis just looked at her encouragingly. "I just…when I saw all of those supplies and baby things, I just got…overwhelmed, I guess."

"Overwhelmed?" Kate nodded.

"Not in a bad way. I just…seeing everything and then thinking about this baby and what that means…it was a little too much to take in all at once."

"You're not…reconsidering having the baby, are you?" Kate whipped her head around in shock to stare Alexis straight in the eyes.

"Of course not! I would never do anything like that!" She watched as the other woman's shoulders visibly dropped in relief as she looked up at her in apology.

"I'm sorry Kate. I didn't mean to imply anything." Kate sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I know Alexis. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion." Another silence stretched before them before Kate continued. "It just feels like a lot to take in, you know?"

"Well I would think that having a baby would do that to you."

"It's not just that. There's so much to do, so much to buy, so much to prepare before the baby gets here. Trying to do it all alone with Castle not here…"

"Is that what this is about? Dad not being here?" At her silence, Alexis gasped. "KATE! You know he's coming back right? This book tour is only for a few weeks. He'll be back by the end of the month. Beginning of next month at the latest."

"You know that and my heart knows that but my mind…sometimes it needs a little convincing." Alexis just stared at her confused. "Rick told me once upon a time that before we got together, before we even knew each other, that he enjoyed going on his book tours and meeting his thousands of adoring fans, his adoring _female_ fans particularly. To him, there was nothing better than going to a book signing and seeing how many women shoved their breasts in his face to autograph." Kate watched as Alexis closed her eyes, probably trying to block out the images that those words conjured, like she was. "I know that since we met, he's changed for the better. And I love the man he is now."

"And Grams and I love you for bringing that change to him." Kate smiled halfheartedly.

"And I know that despite what the papers and the media might say about him, he is a good, kind-hearted man and would never do anything to hurt anyone he loves, including me."

"Yeah…" Alexis's tone was questioning and Kate could feel her eyes on her as she reached into her purse and pulled out a folded newspaper section. Handing it to the woman next to her, Kate sat back in the swing and watched as Alexis skimmed the words on the paper, looking for whatever it was that Kate wanted her to see.

Opening to the next page, Kate saw Alexis's eyes stop as she took in a deep breath. Her shocked eyes found Kate's again.

"Kate?"

"Go ahead. Read it." Alexis's voice wavered as she read.

"Author Richard Castle was spotted in L.A. stepping out with a couple of very eager fans. Castle, author of the Derrick Storm and Nikki Heat series of mystery books, was in L.A. for a signing of his newest books, _Storm Born_ and _Tender Heat_. Hundreds, if not thousands, of fans lined up for a chance to get his autograph, including the two lovely young ladies pictured above. After the signing, Castle was spotted getting out of his limo with the two women and the trio spent most of the evening at local hotspot Neon before calling it a night and heading back to his hotel together." The silence between the two women was uncomfortable to say the least and neither really knew what to say to the other.

"Kate...you know there's another side to this story, right? Dad wouldn't do this to you. He loves you too much. You know that, don't you?"

"I do. Well at least I thought I did. Alexis, look at that picture. Tell me that what that article says isn't true?"

"It's not. I know what I read and I know what the picture shows. And I'm telling you that you can't believe it." Kate sighed. "Have you talked to Dad yet?"

"I tried, but he hasn't been answering. I guess he's too busy _signing books_." She purposefully spoke the last part with sarcasm and didn't care that it sounded a bit harsh.

"Kate…"

"I don't really blame him, Alexis. I mean, why wouldn't he want to go out with two young, good-looking women while his bloated, undesirable, moody wife's at home with a bun in the oven?" Instinctively, she placed a hand over the slight, nearly undetectable swell of her abdomen. "Let's just go back to the loft." Kate got up from the swing and headed out of the park to hail a cab, her silent stepdaughter lagging just behind her.

* * *

By the time they got home, her mood hadn't improved much. The cold November air was left behind as they entered the warmth of the loft. She headed straight for the master bathroom to take a warm shower while Alexis, she assumed, headed quietly to her room. While she was grateful that her stepdaughter was staying over while Rick was away, at the moment, she really wanted nothing more than to be alone.

She walked into the bedroom she shared with her husband to deposit her things while she grabbed up a set of her warmest, loosest-fitting pajamas to put on when she was done. She was thankful that most of her clothes still fit her as she really didn't have the energy or the desire at the moment to go shopping for new ones. At three months along, the little bump of her stomach was barely visible and she hadn't yet reached the point where she was unable to do the simplest of tasks, like tying her shoes. She was hoping that point of her pregnancy would hold off a little longer.

A sudden ringing broke her musings and she looked to where her phone rested on the bed. She saw her husband's name pop up as he tried to FaceTime her. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked at her phone and let it ring. A moment of indecision later, she sat down on the bed as she answered his call and it took all of her energy to plaster a grin on her face as he appeared on her phone.

"Hey babe."

"Hey Beckett. How are you?"

"Fine."

"And the baby?"

"Baby's fine, Castle." _Well this was certainly stimulating conversation._ "How's L.A.?"

"Oh you know, the usual. Too hot. Too loud. Too much traffic. Too lonely."

"Lonely, huh?"

"Of course. I wish you were here with me. I'm bored here without you. I could sure use the company."

"Bored? Company? From what I've seen, it looks like you've already taken care of both of those." She ignored the confused look on his face.

"What?" _Oh, he's gonna play it like that, is he? Well I can play too._

"I saw the picture, Castle. I read the article."

"Picture? What picture? What article? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the picture of you getting out of your limo and going into the club. With those two women. Women who are not your wife. Which would be me, in case you've forgotten." She watched as realization finally dawned on him.

"There's a picture of that?" She rolled her eyes as she reached over to pull out the same article that she had shown Alexis earlier. She held it up to her phone so he could see it. The line was silent as he stared at the image before him and read the accompanying text.

"Wait Kate. Do you really think I would do something like that?" His voice was indignant but she fought back.

"Oh I don't know, Rick. Would you? I know the old playboy Richard Castle would have. In fact, he probably would have made it a point to be seen stepping out. But the new Castle? I didn't think he was capable of something like this. I thought he had changed, that _you_ had changed. Goes to show you how much I know."

"Kate, please just listen…" His voice was imploring and she was tempted to just end the call right then and there but she had more to say.

"What more could you have to say to me, Rick?" As angry as she was, she almost missed the sad look on his face and for a moment she was struck to see the hurt on his face. However, the extra hormones and heightened emotions currently wreaking havoc on her caused that brief moment of sympathy to pass quickly.

"Yes, I did go to that club with those two women and we did head back to my hotel afterwards, just like that article said." Kate huffed as her husband quickly continued. "But that's not the whole story. What that article doesn't say is that I met those women, Karissa and Janice, at one of my book signings." Kate's eyebrow quirked up as she glared at her husband threateningly. "Yes, I asked them their names. They came up to me and just started talking to me. They introduced themselves to me. They were very nice and were very interested in my work, not my status as a celebrity or as a writer. They are big fans of mine and love my books, particularly the ones with Nikki Heat." Kate looked at him disbelievingly.

"Really?"

"Really. They said that they liked that she was such a strong, independent character yet still so feminine. She has her tough, passionate cop exterior that she lets the outside world see but a sweet, gentle side that she saves for the ones she loves, like Rook. They were very interested in how I created such a brilliant and down-to-earth character, a character that they idolize." He paused and Kate could feel herself soften.

"And?"

"And they wanted to know all about my inspiration, my muse. So I told them all about you."

"You told them all about me?" He nodded.

"I did. In fact they reminded me a lot of you. They both attend college here in L.A.; Janice is studying criminal justice and Karissa is interested in political science. They are both passionate about doing what they can to save the world. Just like you. They thought it was sweet when I told them about how you inspired me to create Nikki and how you have continued to inspire me every day since we met." By this point, Kate's anger had nearly evaporated, but her husband still had a few questions to answer.

"That still doesn't explain your trip to the club or your hotel."

"That night, the club was hosting a private fundraising event for the LAPD. Since I work closely with the NYPD and have worked with other law enforcement agencies in the past, I was invited to attend. Both Janice and Karissa are involved with multiple charities, including the one that the proceeds from the event were being donated to. As they both also happened to have been invited to the event, I offered to share my ride with them."

"And the hotel?" Her voice was soft as she spoke.

"They were going to be meeting some friends there for some other event, an after party or something like that. I don't really remember. Anyway, they are both about Alexis's age and I know that if it had been her, I would have been worried about her getting a ride at that time of night, alone, so I offered them a ride back. The limo dropped us off and once we got to the lobby, we said our good-byes. I went to my room, alone, and went right to bed." His blue eyes looked deeply into hers. "And that's it, Kate. There's nothing else left to tell. Do you believe me?" She hesitated again before nodding.

"I do, Castle. I do. I know you and I know you would never do anything to hurt me like that."

"Then why…?"

"I'm sorry babe," she sighed. "You've been gone and I've been so overwhelmed with everything and thinking too hard about things that I shouldn't be thinking about. It's just…hard trying to do things without you here. And these damn pregnancy hormones are messing with my body and my mind." He smiled softly at her.

"Don't I know it. Remember, I've been on the receiving end of more than one of your hormone-induced ravings." She scowled at him, but it lacked any real threat. Castle's face turned serious for a moment. "But Alexis is there. And you can always call my mother if you need anything."

"I know and Alexis has been a big help. But I think what I really need now is you."

"Well, if you need me there, then that's where I'll be. I'll cut my tour short and come back home the first chance I get."

"No Rick! You don't have to.."

"I know I don't _have_ to, Kate. But I _want_ to. You need me and there's no place I'd rather be than by your side, no matter what. I'll talk to Paula tomorrow and I'll let her know about the change of plans."

"I'm sorry, Castle."

"Don't be sorry, Kate. Never _ever_ be sorry for needing me, for wanting me at your side. I've told you before that family comes first, that _you_ come first. Always." They both smiled. "Do you feel any better?"

"Yes and thank you." She paused. "By the way, I've been trying to call you all day. Why didn't you answer?" She watched as her husband grew sheepish for a moment.

"Uh…yeah. I kind of misplaced my phone and I didn't find it until just now. Actually, I didn't even know I didn't have it until Paula told me you had been trying to reach me."

"How did Paula know I was calling you?"

"I guess Alexis texted her and told her that I needed to call you right away." _Oh that sweet, wonderful girl!_

"Well, I'm glad you were able to take some time off from your busy schedule to call your pregnant wife, Mister Castle," she teased.

"Anything for you, Miss Beckett." He grinned the goofy grin that she loved so much and she wanted so much to just hold him in her arms. "I'll see you in two days. Max."

"I love you, Castle."

"I love you Beckett. And baby." She smiled softly and ended their call. Cradling her tiny bump, she rose from the bed and made her way out of the bedroom.

 _First, I guess I better apologize to Alexis. And thank her for contacting Paula. Second, I need to make sure that she has somewhere to be when Rick gets back home. I'm sure she won't want to be here._

Kate grinned devilishly as her husband's reaffirming words played in her head and mixed with the wicked thoughts housed there.

 _Yeah, she might want to spend the night at Martha's too while she's at it…and maybe stay away all morning as well._


	4. Month Four

**a.n Yay! Another day, another chapter! And I thank you for the reviews from the last one. Most of you didn't think that my portrayal of Kate in the last chapter was too OOC, which I was very worried about, so thank you for that.**

 **This chapter establishes more of a time frame for this story and it has a throwback or two to a few episodes. So be on the lookout for that.**

 **And, because I haven't yet done it:**

 **Disclaimer:** Any names, characters, places, or lines you may recognize do not belong to me. They belong to Disney/ABC and some other people, I'm sure. Also, the one quote from _I Love Lucy_ doesn't belong to me either; it belongs to...whoever it belongs to.

* * *

 **Month Four**

Kate looked up from her place on the sofa as she heard her husband's heavy footsteps trudging down the stairs from the attic. His hands and arms were laden with what looked like several heavy boxes. She made a move to get up but the shake of Rick's head and his concerned voice stopped her.

"No no no, Kate. You stay there. You shouldn't be lifting anything heavy while you're pregnant. I've got this." She sat back and looked skeptically at him.

"Are you sure Castle? It's okay if you want your big strong wife to help you out a bit. I wouldn't want you to damage your delicate writer's hands," she teased. She was pleased to see a teasing smirk on her husband's face as he walked by the sofa to the large Christmas tree in the center of the room. Carefully, he placed the boxes out of the way next to tree before turning around and heading into the kitchen. Kate watched him disappear before returning her attention to the pad of paper in front of her. _Let's see, what rhymes with joy?_

She was so absorbed in her task and her scribbling that she didn't notice when Rick walked back into the room until he was standing right in front of her. She finally noticed her husband when he cleared his throat and she gave him a sheepish smile as he handed her the mug he was holding in his hand.

"Sorry. And thank you." She took the proffered drink as he sat next to her, his own mug in hand. Taking a sip, Kate moaned. "Mmmm. How do you always know how to make the perfect cup of hot cocoa?" Rick just shrugged and grinned.

"Old Castle family recipe."

"Now when you say 'old Castle family recipe' you mean you either Googled it or charmed some barista or waitress into giving it to you, don't you?" By the expression on his face, Kate could tell that she had correctly guessed the truth behind her husband's talent. Placing her pad of paper on the coffee table in front of her, she leaned over to snuggle into her husband's side. "Don't worry babe. I won't tell your mother or Alexis." She could feel the tension release from him and he reached an arm around her and pulled her closer, ever mindful of her burgeoning baby bump. They sat in comfortable silence next to one another, cuddled on the couch in front of the roaring fire with mugs of hot chocolate warming their hands.

While Kate would admit that she missed the occasional glass of wine she and her husband would share together at night, and she _definitely_ missedthe cups of coffee he would bring her at the precinct, both of which she would forego until long after the baby was born, she was growing to enjoy the custom of sharing a mug of cocoa just as much. A lot of that enjoyment came from her husband himself. Once she had found out she was pregnant and had cut both types of liquid out of her diet, Castle had surprised her by declaring that until they could enjoy their nightly ritual again, he would refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages as well (he still drank coffee, though his consumption of the stimulant had decreased slightly the past couple of months). The sweetness of that gesture had surprised her and for four months, he had remained committed to his promise. Though, judging by the state he was often in when he came home from some of his game nights with the boys or the odd poker night with his poker group, he hadn't completely forsaken it. Still, it was a sweet gesture and whenever he was around her, he did his best to ensure that he didn't take a sup.

And she loved him so much for that.

Their reverent peace and solitude was broken as his soft voice floated through her thoughts.

"It's strange to think that at this time next year, there will be a baby here." His voice was giddy and wistful and she couldn't help but to share in his enthusiasm.

"I know. Our own little boy or girl."

"You know if you really want to know, we can always find out at your next appointment." She shook her head.

"Uh-uh. You know I want to be surprised." They had had this discussion several times before. While she knew Castle would love the baby no matter what gender it was, like she would, he was eager to know what they were having. She really wanted be surprised when she gave birth and Castle, loving husband that he is, acquiesced. She had a feeling that he would love to have another little girl to add to the family, and if she had to admit, she wasn't opposed to the idea of a little boy, one who was a spitting image of his father. "We'll just have to wait and see when the time comes."

"You know I'm no good at waiting."

"Oh, I don't know Castle. I seem to remember a certain author waiting nearly three years before deciding to make a move on a certain detective." She smiled teasingly as he scoffed.

"Is that right? Well I seem to recall a certain detective not objecting to said author at the time. And if I remember correctly, that same detective also waited _four_ years before she made her move on him." She leaned up and smiled brightly at him. He returned the smile as he looked down, moving his face closer to his.

"Well, you know what they say about good things coming to those who wait." Her voice was soft as she noticed his lips were only inches from hers.

"Is that what we are? A good thing?" He whispered.

"Mmmhmm. A _very_ good thing." Their lips met in slow exploration. This was a gentle meeting of two souls, not a passionate flurry of fever and excitement. Their lips tasted and investigated each other languidly; neither felt the need to rush or hurry and there was no heated frenzy that usually found them in their bedroom, clothes torn off in passionate fury. Just a loving reiteration of their love for and devotion to one another.

They remained like that for a long while, breaking apart only when the need for air became stronger than their need for each other. As Rick pulled away, Kate looked up and saw nothing but love and adoration shining in his eyes. She knew her own love struck face reflected the same look to him.

"Was that your way of convincing me that I should wait for this next very good thing? If so, I'd have to say, well done. You're very persuasive, Captain Beckett."

"I'm only doing my job." He raised one eyebrow at her. She smirked as she continued. "Convincing those who have done wrong to see the error of their ways and reform." She let out a very un-Kate-like giggle as she watched her husband's eyes widen in amusement. She settled back against him and it was only a moment later that he squeezed her shoulder tenderly. She felt him shift as he reached towards the pad she had laid on the table earlier.

"What have you been working on dear wife?" He picked up the pad but she snatched it out of his hand, barely managing to keep the half empty mug in her hand steady, before he could read what she had written down.

Her voice was nervous as she answered him. "It's just my contribution to this year's Castle family holiday poem." His eyes lit up in excitement.

"Really?" Kate nodded. "Can I hear it?" She hesitated. "Please Kate?"

Sighing, Kate gave in. "Okay. But only if you read me yours. I know you've already finished it. You've been bragging about it for weeks." Eyes sparkling, he jumped up eagerly, placed his mug on the table, and dashed to his office.

Eyeing him warily, Kate was surprised when he returned moments after he had departed, his own pad in hand, excitement reeling off of him like a kid in a candy store. He took his place beside her on the sofa and turned towards her.

"Do you want to go first?" Despite his obvious enthusiasm, she noticed that he was holding back to not push her into doing anything she might not be ready for. _And yet another reason I adore this man._

She nodded. She placed her hot cocoa mug on the table and gathered up the pad more securely. Stilling her shaking hands and taking a deep breath, she began:

"The year past was full of ups and downs, good and bad,  
We caught all of our perps. Boy, were they mad!  
There were promotions and moves, new friends and new books,  
But it's to the new year and the future I now eagerly look.  
Soon it will be filled with even more happiness and joy  
As we welcome our beautiful girl or bouncing baby boy."

As she finished the last line, she looked over at her husband. His eyes and smile were soft as he watched her adoringly.

"That was beautiful, Kate." His sincerity made her blush.

"Thanks babe." She nudged him. "Now you." He grinned.

"I don't know if I can compete with that, but I'll try."

His deep voice was soft as he recited the words he had written down weeks ago.

"As great as this year was, watching everything change and grow,  
I'm certain of the one thing I believe, the one thing I know:  
Next year will be greater, better than this one; I know it will be.  
Because, after all, we're having a baby, my baby and me.  
We're finally starting our family. I couldn't ask for more;  
Except, maybe soon, little Castle three or even number four."

When he finished, a goofy grin on his face, Kate was staring at him, her mouth agape.

"What was that?" Castle looked at her, a teasing twinkle in his eye.

"What was what?" He asked innocently.

"Don't you think we should wait for _this_ little one to be here before deciding on having more?" While she was a bit perturbed at him making assumptions about their future, there was something remarkably sweet about the notion of having more kids. The fact that he was open to that possibility warmed her heart. It wasn't enough to let know he was out of the doghouse though.

"Come on, Kate. You can't tell me you haven't thought about having more kids." Her silence seemed to only cajole him. "See. You love the idea as much as I do."

"Maybe." She looked seriously at him. "But we will need to talk about this. Later."

"Of course, Captain." She felt her anger dissipate as he kissed her gently again. She pulled away moments later, a question on her lips.

"Castle? Did you quote _I Love Lucy_ in your poem?"

"…Maybe."

"You know that's cheating, right?"

"It's not cheating!" He whined.

"Do I need to go ask Alexis and your mother for a vote?"

"I followed the rules!"

"Since when do you follow rules?

"Since I'm the one who made them." She just stared at him, giving him her patented "Beckett glare". "What?"

She sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

He smirked childishly. "I can think of a few things you can do to me, Captain Beckett."

She smirked back. "Maybe we can do those things later too, Mister Castle." She turned back into him and nestled into his side, wickedly grinning as her husband remained speechless.

 _I'm having a baby, my baby and me._


	5. Month Five

**a.n. This one was fun to write, probably because of the characters involved. While I hadn't originally intended for the story to be limited to Kate's point-of-view, that's the way it's been so far and it hasn't been as bad or as hard to pull off as I thought. This chapter, however, will be a bit different and that's only because I had this one planned this way (more or less) from the beginning and it wasn't going to work that with that POV.**

 **Like the rest of the story, this chapter has taken a slightly different direction than I had planned and it got a little rough to write around the middle (and I didn't even include a section that I was going to be an important centerpiece of the chapter. After some reconsideration and re-planning, it didn't fit the direction this chapter was taking, as much as I wanted to include it), but I don't think it's half bad (the first part is probably one of my most favorite things I've ever written). Let me know what you think! I love reading your reviews!**

 **And in case I don't get a chance to post another chapter before tonight: Happy Castle Monday, folks!**

* * *

 **Month Five**

"Espo, right flank. Ryan, fall back and cover us."

"Roger that."

"Roger. Hey Javi, did you see that?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna go check it out."

"Be careful. Ryan, do see any movement?"

"That's a negative…hey, wait…what's that? That wasn't here when we came in."

"Oh shit! A bomb! Fall back! Everyone fall back!"

"No can do, bro! I'm taking heavy fire here!"

"Same here! There's nowhere to go! It was an ambush!"

"No no no! This can't be happening! Ahh!"

The television screen went black as the ever-imposing _Game Over_ scrolled onto it.

"Damn," Detective Javier Esposito huffed as he dropped his controller. "We almost had that one." He looked to the others.

"I don't know about you, but I'm definitely not telling anyone we just got beat by a kid."

"I told you guys," Castle stated, slumping down in his chair, his own game controller sliding out of his hands, "Patel's tough. Every time I think I have him beat, he seems to just grab victory from the jaws of defeat." Noticing the sudden silence in the room, Castle looked over at his two companions. They both wore identical expressions of confusion. "Heh, sorry. Writer's mind, remember."

"Yeah, well I think we should take a bit of a break before trying that again. You know: regroup, resupply, recon." His partner, Detective Kevin Ryan, looked at him. "What?"

"Just say you're hungry and want to take a snack break," Ryan supplied, heading to the kitchen to grab a slice of pizza.

"Psh. Whatever bro." He reached over to the coffee table to take a sip from his beer. "Excuse me for trying to stay in the mood."

"What mood? It's a game. You don't need a mood."

"Of course you do. It's all a part of the gaming experience. You can't fully appreciate the subtle nuances of a game unless you're in the right mood."

"Guys," Castle interrupted, not wanting an argument to start. "Just agree to disagree, okay? And Espo, go have some pizza." Not needing to be told twice, the ex-Special Forces soldier headed to the kitchen. He made sure to glare at his Irish partner as the latter returned to the living room and took a seat.

With the Hispanic detective occupied in the kitchen, Ryan turned seriously to Castle. "So Castle, tell me: are you excited for the baby?"

Castle looked at the earnestness on his friend's face and cracked a smile. "Oh absolutely! I can't wait for it to arrive and to see that tiny little face staring up at me." His voice was wistful as he pictured a tiny baby in his mind, a new person that was the perfect blend of him and Kate. "There's nothing better than holding your child in your arms for the first time, knowing that you created that, that you have made a brand new person. It's…indescribable." He watched as the younger man nodded his head in agreement.

"I know what you mean. Sarah Grace is two years old now but I can still remember everything about the day she was born."

"Of course you do," Esposito interrupted as he rejoined them. "We were stuck in a burning building. We almost died, bro. That's not something you can really forget." Ryan ignored him as he continued.

"I mean, I still remember that feeling of peace, of contentment, of finally being complete, you know? Like there was nothing else in the world I could ever want ever again. I already had everything I needed." Castle smiled and nodded his head solemnly as Javier looked between the two of them.

"Seriously guys? I thought this was Bros Night. If I knew you were going to get all girly, I would have stayed home tonight."

"Oh come on Espo; we're not that bad." Castle consoled his friend.

"Yeah, Javi. Castle's just excited about finally getting to meet his and Beckett's baby. How much longer until the big day?"

"Well, the doctor says she's due in early to mid-May. So about four months."

"Really? It's already been that long? It seems like only yesterday that you strutted into the precinct with that big stupid grin on your face. You could barely keep your mouth shut until Beckett told you to either behave or go home."

"I did not strut."

"Yeah you did, bro. I was there. I saw you." Castle glared at him as Ryan continued.

"You lasted all of ten minutes before you cornered Espo and I in the break room to tell us the good news," Ryan stated matter-of-factly, daring the writer to argue. Castle huffed and glanced at his two supposed friends.

"Fine. But can you blame me? A baby! I've always wanted more kids. I've always felt bad that Alexis had to grow up as an only child. When I was younger, I always dreamed of having a sibling and as I grew older, I told myself that if I ever had kids, I would make sure that they would always have someone else, that they would never grow up alone." He grew wistful. "I failed at that with Alexis. I know she doesn't mind and I know she understands that things happened, but I still feel bad about it. This baby is like a second chance to give her what I never had." Ryan nodded his head in understanding as Esposito scowled. "And I love the idea of finally starting a family with Kate. It's a brand new adventure, a new journey that we can take. Together."

Javier muttered. "Maybe I should have gone to Girls Night instead." Ryan and Castle looked in his direction.

"Aww, Javi. Don't mind us. You know we can get a little carried away sometimes."

"'A little carried away?' For a moment, I thought I was at my tia's house, listening to her and my abuelita and all the ladies of the neighborhood talking about things that eight-year-old boys should never have to know about." He visibly shuddered as an unpleasant memory resurfaced and his friends decided to take pity on him.

"Sorry Espo. We'll try to 'man up' our conversations for the rest of the night. But there are no promises that it won't happen again." Esposito sighed as he knew that was the best he was going to get out of these guys at the moment.

"I'm sure having Beckett here, even as pregnant as she is, would have manned the place up a lot more than the two of you are." He pointedly ignored their glares. "What are they doing for Girls Night anyway?"

"Why? You wanna sneak over and meet up with Lanie?"

"No. I'm just wondering if it could be any more girly than it is here." Castle shook his head.

"Trust me, Espo. You wouldn't want to go over there. From what Kate was telling me, it's probably going to just be baby talk all night." He grinned wickedly. "And more 'girly' things that you don't even wanna know about." Kevin nodded his head.

"Yeah. That's what it sounded like when I called Jenny on my way over here." He paused, a speculative look in his eye. "Although, she sounded pretty giddy when we were talking. And with both Lanie and Beckett over with her at our place, I'm betting that Girls Night will turn a bit…steamy." He winced.

"Don't tell me that, Ryan!" Castle whined. "My wife, my daughter, _and_ my mother are all over there right now, discussing…steam. I did not need to know that! Why'd you have to tell me that?" Javier finally laughed.

"Ha! Oh man. That sucks bro! It's funny but it sucks." Kevin sympathized with his friend and patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, Castle. I'm sure Jenny won't let it get out of hand. Much." Castle just groaned as the two detectives grinned at each other. The trio sat in silence for a moment as they feasted on pizza and chips before Kevin spoke up again.

"So Castle, have you and Beckett decided on names yet?" He watched as Javier whipped his head towards him and glared. He just glared back and returned his attention to the father-to-be.

Ryan's question seemed to shake Castle out of the funk he was in and he shook his head. "Not quite yet. We're still in the discussion stage. And since we don't know if it's a boy or a girl, we can't narrow our options down as much as I'd like to."

"Don't you wanna know?"

"Of course I do. But Kate wants to wait for it to be a surprise. I've been trying to convince her otherwise, but…" He shrugged his shoulders as Kevin nodded.

"I totally understand man. When Jenny was pregnant, I really wanted to know too but Jenny wanted to wait. You know how that turned out."

"Yeah. Are you glad you waited to find out?" Ryan looked thoughtful.

"As much as I think it would have been easier to prepare if we had known ahead of time, I'm kind of glad we didn't. I really enjoyed the surprise that was Sarah Grace. And she's been surprising me ever since." A big smile formed on his face as he talked about his daughter.

"Yeah, and you didn't end up with a little Irish boy named Javier Ryan." Javier pointed out jokingly, hoping to steer the conversation away to more manly topics.

"Hey, that would have been an honor to you and you would have loved it."

"Castle, just tell me: you're not planning to name the kid Javier, are you? Because naming a rich white kid Javier Castle is just asking for trouble." Castle shook his head a smile on his face.

"No Espo. Not that I know of. Though I can't say that Kate might not throw that out there as a possibility sometime in the future." Esposito groaned while Kevin and Rick glanced at one another, teasing grins on their faces.

"Okay, that's it. Enough talk about little Castles and things too unmanly to have been included in Bros Night in the first place." Javier reached over into the pile of games and plucked a box out. Holding up _NBA 2K16_ , he asked "How about some hoops?"

"So we can hear you argue with the fake ref about unfair calls?"

"Or spend hours ogling the fake cheerleaders?"

Javier looked at the two of them innocently.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about."

"Yeah yeah."

"I'm in. I call the Knicks."

"Hey."

"Hey."

"What?"

"Why do you get the Knicks, Castle?"

"My house, my rules." The two detectives glared at him and Castle smiled triumphantly as he grabbed the box and loaded the game.

 _Javier Castle…now there's an idea. I wonder if Beckett will go for it…_


	6. Month Six

**a.n. I'm so sorry I didn't get this out earlier like the others; I was only about halfway done with it due to not having enough time to write last night. It is up before the end of the day though, so my one-chapter-a-day pace continues.**

 **Chapters 6-8 I actually rearranged because I think it flows better. This was originally going to be the next chapter, but it works a bit better here, I think. I didn't thoroughly edit this as much as I normally would due to time constraints, so if you see any errors, I deeply apologize.**

 **As always, I look forward to reading your reviews and thoughts. Please read and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Month Six**

"I appreciate that you want to be here Castle, but you really don't need to stay."

"Nonsense Kate. It's my baby too. I wouldn't want to leave you to fend for yourself."

"It's only our friends and family; I think I'll be all right."

"Still. I'd rather stay here in case you need me."

"I got through Girls Night a few weeks ago unscathed. How bad could a baby shower be?" He just stared at her disbelievingly and she sighed. "Fine. If you insist on sticking around, why don't you hole up in your office and do some writing? I'll be sure to call you in as backup if I need to. Deal?" He looked as if he was about to object, but her gentle touch as she stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around him as tightly as her stomach would allow stilled that notion. His arms wrapped around her automatically and he sighed.

"Deal. I'll stay in my office like the good little husband that I am. I know the real reason you don't want me there is so you can talk about me behind my back."

"Castle, I talk about you behind your back and in front of you all the time. Why would this be any different?"

"Because now it's just girl talk and that's much worse." She was prevented from saying anything more by a knock on the door. Kate looked in that direction.

"That's probably Jenny. She said she would be showing up early to help set everything up." She turned back towards her husband. "Now shoo. Go finish writing your next best seller. I promise to come get you if I need you." Castle bent down to give her a soft kiss on the lips. She eagerly returned it. Rick tried to deepen it there was another knock on the door so he pulled away reluctantly.

"I'm gonna hold you to that promise, Beckett."

"Have I ever let you down before, Castle?" He smiled warmly at her as he retreated to his office.

"Never." Kate smiled back and watched him shut his door before she headed over to welcome her guest.

* * *

Slowly, everyone had arrived and once the full contingent was present, the games began. As uncomfortable as Kate normally was in situations like this, she had to admit that she was actually enjoying herself. The silly games helped her relax and feel a little more comfortable with being the center of attention. It also helped that Alexis and Lanie, both of whom tended to be more attuned to her than she often liked to admit, would check often check on her to make sure she was all right. Alexis especially barely left her side the entire time during the festivities. Kate had a sneaking suspicion that her father may have put her up to it but it was so sweet she declined to say anything.

She was currently seated on the sofa, laughing and smiling at everyone else playing pin-the-baby-on-the-mommy. Little Sarah Grace was seated on her lap, a happy smile on her face even though she likely had no clue what was going on. Alexis, seated to her right, was enjoying the sight before her as well and cheering along with the crowd. It soon got quiet and Kate strained her neck looking to see what was going on, careful of the toddler in her lap.

"Okay ladies," Jenny Ryan's voice rang out happily over the crowd. "That's the last one. And the winner is….Martha!" Quite a few cheers, and a couple of groans, greeted the announcement and Martha, ever the actor, graciously accepted them all. Moments later, Jenny spoke up again. "Well that's it for the games. What's next?"

"Gift time!" This time it was Lanie whose voice rose above all the others. "Gather around the mommy-to-be. Kate," the medical examiner looked in her direction, "you stay there. We'll bring the presents to you." Kate smiled thankfully. She soon found herself by a dozen or so women as boxes and bags and wrapped gifts were placed in front of her. Jenny, pushing her way through the crowd, sat to Kate's left and happily retrieved her daughter.

"Hey baby girl, did you have fun with Auntie Kate?" The youngster nodded her head and Kate smiled wistfully. Truthfully, she was glad the youngest Ryan was here. She still had some fears over being a good mother, no matter how much everyone else, especially Castle, tried to reassure her. She had a feeling that her fears were somehow made known to Jenny and that she had brought her daughter over today just to show Kate how unfounded those fears were. Sarah Grace had been cuddled on Kate's lap, or as much of as she could anyway, most of the party and as she had held the little one close to her, Kate felt a sense of peace wash over her as she imagined doing the same thing in the very near future to her own child.

She was broken out of her reverie by Lanie's exuberant voice. "Okay, is that all of them?" Taking a quick look around, she declared all was well and good. "It's your time to shine, mommy." Kate smiled nervously as she pulled the first present toward her.

It was a small wrapped package and looking at the name, she smiled at her mother-in-law. Carefully unwrapping the delicate tissue paper, she uncovered what looked like a CD. On the front of the package was an image of Martha, along with the words _Martha Rodgers' Greatest Hits_. She looked curiously at the redhead.

"Martha?"

"Since I've moved out, you know I won't be spending as much time here. With my career, I missed out on a lot of Richard's childhood and Alexis's as well. I don't want that to happen to my newest grandbaby. So, I made a recording of my voice that you can play to the baby whenever you feel like it. I've included several songs and lullabies as well as some of me reciting classic nursery rhymes and stories. I hope you'll get a chance to play it. I wouldn't want my grandchild to not know my voice." She was getting suspiciously teary-eyed, as was most of the room, and Kate reached over to console her, a very bright smile on her face.

"Oh Martha. I will make sure we play this every night so our baby will know how much you love him or her. We would never want you to feel left out of our child's life. You are such an important part of this family; how could we ever let anyone forget you?" Kate was surprised that she was finding tears in her eyes and Martha patted her hand sympathetically.

"Thanks dear." They shared a smile and everyone in the room gave them a moment. It was Alexis who spoke next.

"Well, I don't know how anyone can follow that, but here's my gift Kate."

"Oh Alexis, you didn't have to." The younger woman smiled at her.

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to. That's my little brother or sister in there and I want to start our relationship off right, in pure Castle fashion." Kate looked at her slightly confused before turning her attention the gift Alexis had given her. It was a bit heavier than the one from Martha and unwrapping it, Kate questioned her stepdaughter.

"A book?" Alexis nodded.

"Yeah. Look at the cover." Kate did so and gasped at the title.

" _Castle and the Captain_?" Alexis nodded.

"Mmhmm. I thought it would be a fun idea to have a storybook made especially for the baby, you know, considering this family. And what better story to tell than yours and Dad's?" As Kate flipped open the book, she saw that Alexis was right. Pictures and words flowed across the pages as the story of her and Castle wound its way from their first meeting, to them becoming partners, to their first date, to their wedding. There were even mentions of some of their cases. Luckily it seemed like Alexis had thought of everything and had had the children's version cleaned up a little. Still, it was a very sweet gesture.

"Wow Alexis. I don't know what to say." She really never had been that close to speechlessness before. She continued flipping through the book and noticed some blank pages at the end. "What's this for?"

"That's so you can keep writing your story. You have your happy ending, but we all know that it won't stop there. You can keep adding to the book through the years and my little brother or sister will know that while you and Dad have a beginning and an ending, may you never have an ending. Your story will never be finished." The rest of the gathered group toasted their cider-filled wine glasses to Kate and Castle and their future. Again Kate was struck by the sentimentality of it all.

"This is more than I could ever ask for. How did you do this?"

"Oh, well…I asked for a little help from Gina." Kate's eyes widened in shock at the name. Alexis smiled. "When you and Dad first told me about the baby, I was excited of course, and I wanted to do something very special. I contacted her with my idea and she agreed to help me out. I've been working out the story and she had one of Black Pawn's children's book illustrators help me out with the pictures. I have been waiting weeks to give it to you just so I can see your face." Kate could do nothing but reach over and hug her stepdaughter as tightly as she could.

"Thank you, Alexis. I love it. And thank Gina for me too." The redhead nodded in agreement and Kate reached out for the next gift.

The gift giving continued and Kate made sure to thank each and every giver personally. Many of the gifts were fairly standard baby shower fare: bottles, blankets, diapers, toys, pacifiers. A few, unfortunately for Kate, were a little more outlandish, like the breast pump emblazoned with the NYPD shield and logo she received from Jenny. A couple of gifts got a bit more personal, like the simple _Congratulations_ card from her close friend Madison Queller. Inside, Kate found the woman's business card. As Madison explained to her, all she had to do was give her a call whenever "mommy and daddy need a night off alone together" and she would ensure that they would get the best table available at her restaurant, Q3. She even promised Kate that all of their drinks would be on the house that night. Kate could only thank her old friend profusely at her generous offer.

Unsurprisingly, Lanie's gift was one of the last to pass through Kate's hands. Knowing her friend's reputation, she was almost afraid to open the box. With an encouraging nod from the woman, Kate carefully lifted up the lid. She let out a sigh of relief when she looked at the half-dozen sets of baby's clothes laid out neatly on the tissue paper inside.

"Oh, Lanie! Thank you! They're just adorable!"

"I thought so. We gotta make sure baby Castle looks her best, just like her momma." Kate was about to interrupt but Lanie continued. "But that's not all that's in there. There's a present for mommy in there too." With curious eyes, Kate pulled out the clothes one at a time and lifted up the tissue paper at the bottom. Her eyes grew wide and she gasped at what she saw.

"LANIE!" The M.E.'s grin was devilish.

"Come on Kate! Hold it up so we all can see!" With the other guests egging her on, Kate threw one last glare at her so-called friend and held up the rest of the contents of the box.

When the rest of the guests saw just what Lanie had given Kate, there was a cacophony of girlish screams and giggles as they teased the mother-to-be. In her hands, Kate was holding a very sheer teddy. Dark blue in color, it was almost black, and the very short hemline and nearly non-existent bust left very little to the imagination.

"That looks more like a present for daddy!" Someone, Kate wasn't sure who, shouted and the rest of the group laughed in agreement. Blushing, Kate shook her head and shoved the lingerie back into the box.

"Look at me, Lanie," Kate gestured to her expanded belly, "just how do you expect me to wear that?"

"You know you won't look like that forever, Kate." Lanie argued. "That's for after the baby's born, when you and Castle might be in the mood for a little 'sexy time'." She grinned. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it." Kate held her tongue, but only because she noticed that her stepdaughter seated beside her seemed to be blushing as brightly as Kate herself was at the moment. She took a moment to compose herself before responding.

"If you say so, Lanie," she acquiesced and the other woman knew that that was as close to an admission as she was going to get from her friend. "Thank you for the gift."

"Any time, sweetie."

* * *

Once all the gifts had been opened, the guests started wandering out. Martha, Alexis, and Jenny stayed around to help with the clean up. As the three of them refused to let Kate do much, she occupied herself playing with Sarah Grace in the living room. The girl's giggles brought such a happy smile to Kate's face and she grew wistful again picturing the scene a few months from now when she would be doing the same with her and Rick's kid.

Jenny softly cleared her throat and Kate looked up to the smiling blonde.

"Sorry to interrupt playtime, Kate, but I've got to get this little lady home. It's well past her bedtime." Jenny reached down to pick up her daughter and as soon as she was in her mother's arms, her eyes drifted closed. Both women smiled at the sweet scene and Kate helped Jenny gather up her things before walking the two of them to the door. They bid each other a whispered "good night", with Kate promising the other woman that she would make sure to call Jenny as soon as she could once she went into labor. Kate quietly closed the door behind them and turned around to the silence of the room.

Purposefully, she strode to Rick's office and the bedroom that lay behind, tired out from the party.

"Did you have fun?" Kate jumped at the sound of her husband's voice, completely forgetting that he had been hiding in his office all night.

"Castle! You scared me! Don't sneak up on me like that."

"I didn't. I've been here the entire time." He walked over and hugged her from behind and Kate's stammering heart slowed as she felt his arms wrap around her. "You must have been too excited thinking about the party to have noticed me."

"Yeah….no," she began. "Yeah, I was thinking about it, but I was also thinking about how tired I am." She absentmindedly stroked her belly. "I can't stay up all night like I used to. Your kid's wearing me out. Just like daddy." She smirked and turned in Castle's arms to look up at him. He just smiled back.

"Well, you wear me out sometimes too, you know." His tone grew playful and she noticed a certain look in his eye. The space between them grew less and less as he got closer to her. She reached up, eyes locking with his. "We can wear each other out tonight, together. Too bad we still have to wait a few months before trying out Lanie's gift." Kate pulled back.

"What?" Castle, realizing what he just let slip, stammered.

"Uh…that is…um…"

"You peeked, didn't you?" She arched one eyebrow daringly and was pleased when her husband visibly gulped. "I knew you couldn't stay away all night!" Her anger morphed into laughter and soon enough her husband was joining in her amusement.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I really tried. When I heard all of that laughter, I just had to see." His voice grew soft. "You have _no_ idea how much I enjoyed that gift. I tried not to picture you in it, but I failed." He smiled lovingly. "It looks good on you, Beckett."

"Yeah well, we'll still have to wait a few months before we know that for sure." Her voice grew soft as well as she stepped out of his embrace and pulled him towards the bedroom. "How about we practice our 'sexy time' now so we'll be experts later when that outfit will actually fit?" Castle could only nod as he allowed his wife to drag him away. "Just remember, babe: your mother and Alexis are staying over tonight. Try to be quiet. We don't need a repeat of what happened last time." Rick shook his head as images of that night played in his head.

"Nope. Definitely don't need either of them walking in on us...again. I'll never live that down, will I?" Kate just smiled and shook her head, making sure her husband locked the bedroom door behind him.


	7. Month Seven

**a.n. And another one in just under the wire (it's currently 11:59 P.M as I post this)! This one has a bit of a flashback scene in it just to give some of the decisions made her some context. I hope it makes sense. Also, with the airing of 8x01, this is officially an AU. That explains Gates being in this chapter. It will make sense (I hope) when you read.**

 **My brain's a little sleep-addled right now, so I apologize if this seems rushed or in anyway incoherent.**

 **The last two chapters should be posted over the next day or two so be on the lookout for the conclusion soon. I know you are all looking forward to it (I am too, to be honest).**

 **Here's chapter seven for your reading pleasure. And don't forget to read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Month Seven**

"Beckett, may I see you in my office please?" Kate looked up from her desk and turned her head towards the sound of Captain Gates' voice.

"I'll be right there, sir." Satisfied with her response, Gates ducked back into her office.

"What do you think Gates wants?" Kate shrugged.

"I don't know. With her, it could be almost anything."

"Maybe she's gonna fire Castle again."

"She can't fire Castle; he doesn't actually work here. Besides, she didn't fire him. She just told him he couldn't hang around here anymore."

"Same thing."

"Well maybe she's gonna fire on of us."

"I don't think that's it. I don't think I did anything recently that would warrant that, Javi. Did you?"

"Guys, I'm sure it's nothing bad. She didn't sound upset. And you know Gates isn't one to be shy when it comes to her feelings about the precinct." She stopped for a moment as she carefully got up from her chair and made get way to her superior's office. "Though if Castle _did_ do something to get him tossed out again, _I'll_ do something to _him_. Maybe I'll let him stay kicked out this time." Kate didn't see the two detectives exchange grimaces as she stepped into Gates' office.

Kate watched as the older woman looked up at her, a smile on her face.

"Kate. Please sit down. And shut the door behind you." Kate did so and ambled to the Captain's desk to take a seat. She watched as Gates removed her glasses to look her in the eyes, a slight smile on her face. "I know you've been anxious for news since last year Captain Beckett, so I won't beat around the bush. I just heard from 1 PP and they've made a decision on your captaincy." Kate held her breath. "It's been decided that you'll be commanding the 12th precinct." Kate could feel her eyes go wide as she let Gates' words sink in.

"Sir?" Gates smiled.

"Oh, don't worry about me, Captain. They're not firing me. In fact, they offered me a promotion."

"Oh… congratulations, sir."

"Thank you, but I've decided not to take it." Kate looked at her in confusion but Gates just continued to smile. "I've decided to take an early retirement instead." The pair were silent a moment as Kate processed this new information. Finally, she spoke, her voice curious.

"But why now? It's not because of my promotion is it?" Gates only shook her head.

"Of course not, Kate." The younger woman visibly relaxed. "I've been thinking about it for some time and Lord knows my husband has too." Both women smiled. "I've just been waiting for the right moment to come. I think now is that moment." Kate watched as Gates got up and walked around to the side of her desk. She sat on the corner, much closer to Kate than she had been before and in a much more personal manner. "Kate, in the nearly five years I've been captain here, I've watched so much happen. The precinct's closure rate has skyrocketed, our officers and detectives are some of the most well-trained and disciplined I have ever had the privilege to work with, and I've had more fun at work at this precinct than I can ever remember having. And I've also had the opportunity to see you grow and blossom into the accomplished young woman I see before me." Kate blushed and was going to interrupt before Gates continued. "You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger. Remember what I said about being the youngest female officer to make detective? And now you've just been made captain of your own precinct. I am _so_ proud of you Kate and I couldn't be happier that when I leave, I will be leaving the place in good, strong capable hands. I know you'll do great things, Captain Beckett." The grin Gates wore was the biggest one Kate could ever remember seeing from her superior.

"I don't know what to say sir."

"Please Kate, call me Victoria."

"Okay. Victoria. Thank you."

"Oh, don't think me. Thank 1 PP for realizing what I have all along: that Captain Kate Beckett is a great asset to the NYPD and could best serve the people, and this city, by staying here. The 12th is your home and no one cares more about their home, no one worries more about the people in it, no one defends it better, than the ones who call it their own. That person, right now, is you, Kate. I'm just glad I could be here to see you succeed."

"But sir…Victoria…you didn't just see me succeed; you helped me. I don't think I would have made it this far without your support." She looked at Gates as the woman's face softened. "You pushed me to my limits, to do things that I didn't think I could do. You believed in me and taught me and helped me. You saw right through everything," she paused as she remembered the months where she and Castle tried to hide their relationship in fear of being discovered by this woman thus forcing them to end their partnership only for Gates to confide in them that she had known about them for some while and had no qualms or concerns about it affecting their work partnership, as long as they were discreet. "And I don't think there was a moment where I didn't believe that you only wished the very best for and from me. Even if we occasionally butted heads." They shared a laugh and the tension that Kate had felt gathering was broken and she finally relaxed in front of her one-time superior.

"Thank you, Kate." Kate smiled, but a thought popped into her head.

"When is my placement here official?" Kate thought she noted a slight hesitation as Victoria straightened up slightly.

"That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about." Her tone was much more serious and the younger woman stiffened slightly. "My retirement won't be happening for a few more months at least, probably mid-summer or early fall. After that, you'll take over. Until then," she paused and looked seriously at her one-time subordinate. "1 PP has requested that you remain out of the field and on desk duty for the next two weeks, at which point your maternity leave will begin." Kate looked at her in surprise and righteous indignation.

"What?" Gates placed a calming hand on the woman's shoulders.

"Believe me Kate. I tried to argue with them, letting them know how integral you are to this team and how invaluable both you and your husband have been in solving some of our most complex cases. But they see it as a safety concern, for you and your baby as well as for your fellow officers."

"But that's just ridiculous!"

"I know it is. But they don't see it that way." Gates softened her gaze while she stared seriously at Kate. "As much as I argued for you, Kate, I did have to agree with them on one thing." Kate opened her mouth but Gates stopped her. "Being in the field is dangerous work, Kate. As an expectant mother, you really shouldn't need to be out there. There's too much unpredictability, too many variables; too many things can go wrong. Do I need to remind you of the incident that occurred about five months ago?" Gates was silent as Kate thought about the case in question.

* * *

 _There were nine men on their knees on the ground, being handcuffed one-by-one by members of the NYPD. Containers of seized weapons were carefully being catalogued by multiple units while vice helped with the cleanup of the illegal drug trade that had been uncovered._

 _Kate, just shy of being two months pregnant, stood proudly near Ryan and Esposito, all three satisfied that their case had finally been solved. The murder of the young John Doe had, like many of their cases, taken twists and turns not one of the would have ever imagined. Dead ends had lead them nowhere and if it wasn't for another brilliant, yet wildly insane, idea put forth by her husband, who was currently at home jotting down ideas for a new novel inspired by this case, they never would have stumbled upon any of this. Their hard work and sleepless nights the last week had finally paid off. There was only one thing to take care of now._

 _Kate strode confidently to where the drug traffickers were being cuffed and read their rights. One of them, a big bald man with a flame tattooed on his head who had yet to be cuffed or Mirandized, seemed to be their leader and she was determined to find some answers before he was hauled away._

 _As she approached him, she stumbled slightly when her nausea decided to show itself. She recovered fairly quickly, quashing the urge to vomit. There would be time for that later; now she had a job to do. The man in front of her, however, seemed to have sensed her momentary weakness and lack of attention as he jumped up and grabbed a knife from a hidden sheath in the arm of his shirt. Seconds later, Kate found herself face to face with a grinning drug lord as she tried to fight back her nausea. Her head was pounding and her vision was swimming, but she stayed firm. She could hear echoes around her as the other officers realized something was amiss and tried to come to her aid._

 _But the man was too fast. He struck out at her midsection and Kate turned around defensively to deflect the blade. Her Kevlar vest protected her from projectiles, but the thrust of a knife would hardly be stopped by the thick material. If he could get it in just the right spot and twist…she shook her head. He tried again, aiming at the same spot, and this time Kate's motherly instincts kicked in. A single thrust there, in her most precious of areas, would have deadly consequences that she didn't want to think about. As she stepped to the side out of his way, she put aside her fear for her personal safety and only thought about that of the tiny baby inside her. That spurred her into doing what she had to do._

 _She grabbed the wrist of her assailant as he went past her and bent it back far enough to strain it but not quite enough to break any bones. The pain in his wrist caused the man to drop his knife but he managed to grab onto her other arm and bring him down with her._

 _Twisting to ensure she landed on her back rather than her stomach, Kate was dazed for a moment as pain seared up her spine. When she regained her senses, she saw that the man had broken free and was coming towards her, knife again in his hand. Kate wrapped one arm protectively around her belly and held up her other one in what she knew was a futile attempt to stop the oncoming attack. At the moment, she didn't care; all she wanted was to protect the precious life inside of her._

 _The sound of gunfire echoed around her and she watched the shocked expression come upon the man's face as blood started to pool all over him. The knife dropped out of his hand as he collapsed on the ground in front of her, just a couple of feet from where she had fallen._

 _Moments later, the quick footsteps of Ryan and Esposito raced past her to check out her assailant, making sure he was no longer a threat. Once that was done, the two men returned to her, offering her their hands. She knew she was visibly shaking and once she was on her feet, her arms tightened considerably around her torso. Not one of them said anything as she turned around and headed back to her car, eager to get home to the safety of her husband's arms._

 _She had barely made it to the car before the tears came and it had been a long night for both her and Rick as she had sought comfort and solace from him._

* * *

"I don't want to force you to remain here, but I will if I need to. Please don't make me make the decision for you." The pleading and sincerity in Gates' voice shook her as she revisited her memories of that horrible day. Rick had been furious with her, but when he had seen how scared she was, he could do nothing but hold her all night while she struggled with what had happened. Since then, she had been careful every time she had gone out into the field. She was more conscious of the other life at stake and she vowed to never put her unborn child in harm's way again. _Maybe Gates is right. I can't keep doing this until the baby's born. I can't put us through that again. Who knows what might happen next time._

Kate nodded slowly as she accepted the truth of Gates' words.

"You're right, Victoria. I can't keep doing my job in this condition. Too many people can get hurt. I'll do it." Victoria's smile was pained as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I really am. I know how much you enjoy being out in the field and you know how much I need my best detective out there." Kate's relative silence worried the older woman. "But the higher-ups did say to give you a couple of weeks before going on leave."

"But if I can't do fieldwork, what…"

"I propose that you work here at the precinct. You could shadow me, learn how to be a captain, how to make the tough decisions, how to run the place. A lot of that you do and know anyway; this will just be you doing it from another perspective. That will keep you out of the field but you will be doing something to prepare yourself for when you take over. It will help you're your transition here. What do you say?" Kate thought about it seriously for a moment. It was a good idea and it wouldn't hurt to get a least a little more experience under her belt before taking over. It would be a good opportunity for her and it would definitely be the much better option than to just be on desk duty until she was forced on leave.

"Sounds good, Victoria." Kate smiled sincerely and Gates smiled back, glad to see the younger woman accept her proposal.

"Good. Now why don't you get back out there and finish up the paperwork for your last case? I want you outside my office first thing tomorrow morning so we can get started on making a decent captain out of you," Gates finished as she stood up and walked back around the desk to stand by her seat.

"Yes sir." Kate stood up and headed towards the office door when she was stopped by the sound of Gates' voice.

"And Kate? Leave your shadow at home. I don't want to worry about the trouble he can get into hanging around the precinct without you keeping an eye on him." Kate grinned as she headed out of the door.

"Of course, Captain Gates. See you tomorrow. And thank you."

"See you tomorrow, Captain Beckett. And you're very welcome."


	8. Month Eight

**a.n. And another one in at just under the wire! I apologize for that. This one comes in at nearly 4,000 words so I think I can be forgiven by given you a long chapter.**

 **This chapter is quite a bit more...detailed than I had originally planned. I like it though. It was also originally going to be chapter six but it definitely works a lot better here. I think this is a very sweet chapter with, what I hope, are classic Beckett and Castle, but I'll let you be the judge of that. Plus I like the little bit of a "breaking the fourth wall moment" at the end.**

 **We're almost there! Just one more month to go after this. I hope you guys are all as excited as I am! I am hoping to have the final chapter up some time tomorrow. I really enjoyed writing this story and I loved reading all of your reviews. I hope you enjoy this, the penultimate chapter of _Nine Months_!**

* * *

 **Month Eight**

Kate smiled from behind her book as she heard the very loud exclamations coming from her husband upstairs. The sound of hammering accompanied his vocalizations before it grew quiet. She waited a few moments for the commotion to start up again and when it didn't, she grew concerned. Rick and silence never boded well for anyone.

Sighing heavily, she tossed her book onto the coffee table and struggled to stand from her place on the sofa. At eight months pregnant, it was a lot harder for her to get around like she used to. Even just getting up from a seated position, like now, took some extra time and consideration.

And usually a little help from Rick.

As he was preoccupied at the moment, Kate was determined to do it herself. Placing her left hand on the arm of the sofa and her right on the seat next to her, and taking a deep breath, she pushed herself up.

Finally standing, she gingerly made her way to the stairs that led further up into the loft. She avoided the stairs as much as she could as her condition wasn't really suited for the arduous climb. However, stubborn and determined as she was, she wasn't about to let anything stop her from her destination. Carefully and meticulously placing one foot in front of the other, and holding sturdily onto the handrail, she started her ascent.

Minutes later, she reached the top floor. She took a moment to catch her breath as she looked around. It was still unsettlingly quiet; she had yet to hear a peep from her husband and whatever project he was currently working on.

Making her way down the hall, she passed by a currently unoccupied room. When Alexis had moved out months ago, she and Rick had both insisted that they would keep her room the way it was. Anytime the young woman came over for a visit, she was always more than welcome to stay the night in her own room. While both she and Alexis thought it was sweet, she had a feeling that it was more of a comfort to Rick to have a piece of his daughter still here. The last time she had moved out, it had been under less than favorable terms and he took it hard. He had missed her terribly then and while the relationship between father and daughter was much better this time around, Kate knew it still worried him sometimes that Alexis was gone. She missed her stepdaughter too and seeing this room helped ease the pain in her own heart.

Walking past it, she stopped at the next room. This was the room they were going to use for the nursery and this was where her husband had been headed to when he had left her downstairs hours ago. She hadn't seen him since then and looking, she saw the door was slightly ajar. Raising her hand, she knocked softly.

"Rick?" Pushing the door open gently, she was taken aback when her husband appeared right in front of her, eyes wide in surprise.

"Don't come in here! Not yet!" He scurried out of the room and shut the door behind him, stopping right in front of Kate.

"What are you doing? What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Rick nodded. "If it's nothing, why can I not go in?" Rick visibly gulped.

"Uh…."

"Richard Edgar Alexander Rodgers Castle, what did you do?" Hearing his full name caused him to wince and he looked pleadingly at her.

"Nothing, Kate. I swear." She looked at him, not sure if she should believe him. "I just have a little surprise for you and I haven't finished it yet. I don't want to show you the room until it's done." Once they had decided to decorate and furnish this room for the baby, Castle had insisted that he do all of the work. He didn't want to hire some decorator or handyman to build this room for their child. Initially, Kate thought it was adorable that he wanted to do something special for the baby and she couldn't object to him. As the months went by, however, it seemed to her that Rick had taken on a little too much responsibility. While she had told him that she wouldn't mind lending him a helping hand, he had all but forbidden her from lifting a finger. He didn't want her to overtax herself. It was one of the few things they had argued constantly about over the last eight months. He had been happy to let her help pick out paint swatches and fabric samples and they had more or less agreed over the general layout and design, but she had yet to see anything come of it. The last few weeks especially had seen Rick come and go with furniture and paint and the "baby loot" from her baby shower. She had no idea what was happening up here in this room but she trusted her husband's judgment and taste.

Usually.

Kate raised an eyebrow in question and Rick stuttered. "Look, it's almost done. I just have a few more things to finish up and install and then everything will be ready. Then you can see it. Okay?"

"Okay." Rick grinned.

"Okay, so instead of making the trek all the way back downstairs, why don't you go over to the guest room and lie down for a little while. I'll come and get you when I'm done." Kate wanted to argue with him over him telling her what to do but she couldn't find it in her heart to do so. He was right; she was a bit tired and a little nap sounded good at the moment. Besides, she knew he was only doing it because he cared about her and the baby and wanted to make sure she was well-rested for both of their sakes. Instead, she reached up and gave him a loving kiss on his cheeks.

"As you wish." She turned around and headed the room at the other end of the hall. While this room had originally been Martha's when she had taken up residence here, in the last few months, it had been converted back into a guest room. She had moved out just weeks before Kate found out she was pregnant and the plan had been to keep it for her for when she would visit, just like Alexis's room. Martha had shot that idea down quickly. Rick's mother was still welcome with open arms anytime she decided to visit, but she insisted that with them growing their family, they needed all the space they could use. She didn't need the room any more. She would be a guest and a guest room would be just fine for her. There had been tears shed over that declaration, though Kate couldn't remember just who it was that had cried most, and just like that, the room had been back to being a guest room. Of course Rick, being the sentimental, wonderful man he was, had left a few of his mother's things in the room, insisting that they worked better with the décor. Kate knew better but held her tongue.

The queen-size bed beckoned to her weary body and Kate didn't argue as she plopped down on the soft mattress. Her eyes closed of their own volition and moments after her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.

* * *

The sound of Rick's voice woke her up from her nap and she turned bleary eyes towards his smiling face.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Not long. Maybe fifteen or twenty minutes." She nodded.

"Are you done? Do I finally get to find out what you've been working on the last few months?" He smiled brightly and held out his hand to her. She accepted it gratefully and he led her back down the hall to the nursery. Stopping just outside, he turned to her.

"Close your eyes." She gave him a look. "Trust me. Just do it." Rolling her eyes at him, she closed them and felt his hands grab her shoulders as he walked her inside. They stopped in what she assumed was the middle of the room. Rick turned her gently before taking his hands off of her. "Okay. You can open them now." She did so and gasped.

She was facing the wall where a rocking chair had been placed. The dark blue, almost black, paint on the walls seemed to reflect the light from the window on the other side, lighting up everything in perfect, natural light. A small white table sat next to the chair on one side while on the other, a small, similarly-colored bookcase hugged the wall. She smiled as she looked at the collection of books nestled on the shelves. Leave it to her world-famous author husband to have a fully-stocked bookshelf ready for their unborn child. Her eyes wandered along the spines of the books, mostly children's books and fairy tales. Glancing to the table, she noticed a small CD player with a stack CDs containing children's songs placed nearby. She smiled when she saw Martha's baby shower gift at the top of the pile. Alexis's book, the one that had caused Rick to become suspiciously misty-eyed when he had seen it, was placed reverently next to the CD player.

The dark wood of the rocking chair served a vibrant contrast to the table and the bookcase. A quilt had been placed on the seat of the chair with a small, elephant-printed baby blanket nestled on top. The quilt had been a gift from her father. It was something her mother had made for her when she was very small, he had reminded her. Kate vaguely remembered the warmth and comfort of the blanket from her childhood. She could recall a few happy memories of being wrapped in its cocoon of security, being held on her mother's lap as she was sung to sleep. After Johanna died, he hadn't had the heart to get rid of it. He had hidden it away in a storage unit, hoping that it would bring joy and happiness to a small child again some day. Kate smiled wistfully as she thought about rocking her own child to sleep one day, wrapped up in the same quilt.

Looking toward the window, she saw the little white and silver painted stars that surrounded it. Similar stars, she soon noticed, were painted tastefully in beautiful patterns on the walls throughout the room. Turning to Rick, she smiled.

"You didn't do this, did you?" He scoffed in disbelief.

"I can't believe you have so little faith in your husband, Mrs. Castle." She just looked at him until he admitted defeat. "Fine. I know people who know people. I had some of them come in to help with some of the painting. Not that I couldn't do it on my own," he bragged. Kate shook her head as she continued her exploration of the room.

On the wall near the window was a small dresser, similar in style to the table she had just seen. It had quite a few drawers in it, a dozen at least from what she could see. Walking over, she opened up the first one. Dozens of sets of baby clothes were laid out and neatly arranged inside. She ran her finger over the softness of them before closing the drawer. The other drawers continued more baby clothes and some other baby supplies, including extra blankets, bibs, and bottles.

"Looks like you stocked up pretty well here, babe."

"If there's one thing I learned with Alexis is that you _never_ have enough when it comes to a baby. Just trying to stay prepared." Kate nodded in agreement as her eyes landed on another, taller bookcase standing on one side of the closet. This bookcase was devoid of books, but it was fully occupied by a number of knickknacks. The bottom three shelves were stuffed to the brim with all sorts of stuffed animals, some of which were bought by the expectant parents and most of which were given by friends and family and well-wishers. The next shelf up did house some books, though these books were the informational kind that many expectant couples kept stocked. A well-worn book of baby names was placed alongside _What to Expect When You're Expecting_ , a series of pre- and post-natal books for Kate, and even a couple of books that Castle found interest in, such as _Dad, Here's Your Baby!_ and _Everything You Need to Know to Before, During, and After the Birth._ Kate had been surprised the first time she had seen Castle reading one of those books when she came home from the precinct one day. She had walked in the door and he had been so focused on what he was reading that he didn't acknowledge her. He didn't notice a thing until she was standing right in front of him, curiosity on her face. He looked sheepish and explained that he wanted to brush up on his knowledge so he could be better prepared for when the baby arrived. Her heart had melted at the seriousness with which he was taking everything. He really hadn't read anything else by baby and pregnancy books since then.

The rest of the shelves were mostly taken up by picture frames. Kate looked over each and every one of them. Most of them were of her and Castle at various points of their relationship. There were also quite a few of Martha, Alexis, and her dad, including one of the entire family taken last Christmas. Her baby bump, significantly smaller then than it was now, was, much to her embarrassment, prominently displayed as everyone had insisted she show it off to the camera. Other pictures included Lanie and Esposito and the Ryans, some from the precinct and some from more informal get-togethers at someone's house or another. There was even one or two with Gates and some of the others from the precinct.

Two albums were placed off to one side of the collection of pictures. One was a baby book and Kate picked it up to flip through it. Mostly empty, it had spaces where they had been able to track their baby's progress. Kate saw the first sonogram of the baby and looked over the calendar in the book where she had been tracking the changes her body was going through as her baby was growing. When she got to the last part of the book, she got excited. Here they would record everything they could about their child, from his or her birth date to the loss of the first tooth to the first hair cut to the first word. As much as she had enjoyed being pregnant, she was looking forward to all of the milestones that came after and for the opportunity to finally cradle her child in her arms.

Placing the baby book down, she picked up what looked like a picture album. Opening it up, she noticed a copy of the sonogram picture that she had just seen. The rest of the album was suspiciously empty. She felt Rick's presence as he walked up behind her.

"This is for when we have all of those wonderful pictures of our brand new baby," he smiled. "I figured between two doting grandparents, an ecstatic big sister, and two very happy parents, there's going to be more than enough adorable pictures taken of the littlest Castle to fill this album." She turned to look at him, her grin just as big as his. "And I just know that our baby's gonna be absolutely adorable. I mean, just look at us." He puffed out his chest. "How could we make anything but cute babies?"

Kate rolled her eyes at her husband before she turned her attention to the closet. It was mostly empty, but she could see that Castle had utilized the space well. A small toy box and playpen were stashed away in there. It would be a while before either of those items would see some use but just seeing them there excited her.

Finally, her eyes fell on last wall of the room. Only two items, a crib and a changing table, stood there. She could see that the changing table was stocked with all sorts of supplies, including more diapers, and she quickly drew her eyes away to the crib. The crib itself was cherry oak in a very elegant design that matched everything else in the room. She remembered the day they had picked it out and she nearly teared up as she saw how perfect it looked here in this room. A few blankets were carefully folded at the foot of the crib and one light green one was draped gently over the end. Next, her eyes fell on the one thing she didn't recognize: the mobile hanging above the crib. Stepping closer, she studied the contraption and its accoutrements and gasped in surprise.

"I thought you might like that." Kate's eyes flickered to her husband before she eyed the mobile again. It was a simple silver hoop hanging from a hook above the crib. Connecting the hoop to the hook were crystal-like strands that caught the light of the room. The overall look made it look like a delicate crystal chandelier. Hanging from the hoop on silvery threads were silver stars of various sizes. The way they hung there, blown by the slight breeze wafting through the window, made them look like they were dancing. As Kate got a closer look, she realized that they weren't just stars. On each one of them was a face, a familiar face. She saw herself, Castle, Alexis, Martha, her father, Lanie, Javier, Kevin, Jenny, and even little Sarah Grace. She looked to her husband, tears forming in her eyes. He smiled softly and stepped up to her, pulling her to him.

"Every night when our child goes to sleep, and every morning when he or she wakes up, I want them to see that they are loved, that there are people out there who love them and care for them and will do anything they can to protect them." Kate rested her head on his chest as she listened to his soft words. "These are the people we love and care for and who love and care for us. The ones that matter the most to us. We will all always be there for our baby, no matter what. Always." He pulled away and when she looked at him, Kate realized that he had something in his hands. "But it looks like there's a couple missing." Kate looked closer at the mobile and saw what Castle meant. There were two spots in the very middle that looked as if they had pieces missing. Curious, she turned back to her husband. He had a smile on his face as he held his hands out. "I thought you might want to put these up." He opened up both hands and if Kate had been near tears before, she was certainly crying now.

In his right hand was another star, like the others, but much bigger in size. The face on it was bigger too and the smile of the loving smile of the woman struck Kate.

"Mom?" Castle nodded.

"Of course. She's family. She may not be around anymore, but I believe that she is still watching over you, over us. I know that she will be watching over the baby too." He placed the star gently in her hand. "I may not have gotten the chance to know her, but I know that she'd be very proud of you, Kate. Now, a part of her will always be around to watch out for the baby. And you." Kate very nearly pounced on him but he stopped her and held up his left hand.

This item was remarkably different than the others. There was no star, no picture; only a word written in delicate script: Always.

She smiled.

"Oh Castle." He placed that one into her hand too and stepped back, gesturing for her to add it to the mobile. Carefully, she reached up over the crib and hung the final two pieces in their spots. They hung slightly lower and more prominently than the others and Kate pulled back to get the full effect. It really was a lovely scene and she was fascinated by the interplay of the light from the window on the stars. It really did look like they were dancing. She was speechless at the wonder of the room and the effort that her husband put in.

"Oh and there's one more thing." Reaching over to flip a switch on the mobile, Kate was surprised when she heard the soft, melodic strains of a familiar song play from a tiny speaker mounted carefully in the mobile.

"Our song?" She whispered in surprise.

"What else?"

Turning around, she pressed herself into Castle's arms and reached up to give him a kiss. It was full of love and adoration and he eagerly returned it. They broke apart moments later, both with happy smiles on their faces.

"It's perfect, babe. Thank you."

"It was nothing. Our baby deserves nothing but the best. And so do you." Kate just hugged him closer and they stayed like that for a long time until Kate started to feel tired and pulled away.

"I can't wait to see our baby in this room."

"Well, we don't have to wait too much longer. Only a month now." His voice was full of excitement and Kate shared in his enthusiasm.

"Are you ready to be a daddy again, Castle?" She teased.

"Oh absolutely! How about you Beckett? Ready to be a mom?" She glanced over to the mobile and smiled at her mother's picture.

"Definitely." He grinned.

"Good. But you know," he stated, his face scrunching up like it does when he's thinking "we better start preparing ourselves for any surprises that could happen when you go into labor." Kate's eyes flashed fearfully for a moment.

"What do you mean 'surprises'?" Castle quickly reassured her.

"Oh, I don't mean anything bad. I was just thinking about what if you go into labor and we get stuck somewhere on the way to the hospital. Like in an elevator? Or a tax? Or the subway? And you have to deliver the baby on the side of the road? Or what if there's a blackout and you have to deliver in the dark? Or what if I'm on my back from a book tour and I get stuck at the airport and I'm not here when you have the baby? Or what if there's a freak storm? Or what if…" Kate silenced him by placing her fingers on his lips.

"Babe, stop that. That's just your active writer's mind talking. We are not in a television show or a movie. This is real life. Nothing like that is going to happen. You'll be here. I'll be here. We'll be fine. Don't worry about this." Castle smiled.

"I guess you're right. I must just be paranoid." Kate didn't disagree.

"How about we go back downstairs and get to bed? I'm kinda tired and I think it would be a good idea to get as much rest as we can before the baby comes because we certainly won't be getting enough of it afterward."

"As you wish." Rick and Kate shared a grin and headed out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind them, the soft notes from the mobile echoing around the room.


	9. Month Nine

**Month Nine**

A slightly unsettling feeling woke Kate up and when she reached out for Rick, she was mildly surprised to find that her husband was not beside her in bed. The memory of a couple of hours ago came back to her sleepy mind as she remembered that he had received an early morning call from the precinct. Captain Gates had been generous enough to allow Rick to continue consulting with the NYPD even after Kate had been put on maternity leave. He hadn't been on as many cases in the last two months as he normally would have been if Kate had still been working, but he did go in now and then. Kate had a feeling that Gates allowed him this luxury only because with Castle working from home as an author and with Kate more or less stuck at home on leave, they tended to get on each other's nerves a little more so than usual. She was extremely grateful to Gates for her unexpected foresight in this manner.

Rick had awakened her to let her know about the case and she had given him her blessing to go. She knew he was hesitant to leave her side with her being so close to her due date, but she had insisted. This would probably the last case he would work until after the baby was born and she wanted him to enjoy himself. He had kissed her soundly before climbing out of bed. It was only moments later that Kate had drifted back off into slumber.

The unsettling feeling tugged her away from slumber and Kate knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep at this point. She got out of bed and pulled on her robe before heading out of the bedroom on her way to the kitchen.

Her eyes lit up when she saw her mother-in-law and stepdaughter both already awake. Both women had decided that in the final days of her pregnancy they would move back in to help the couple out. She had told them that it wasn't necessary, that she and Rick were perfectly capable of handling things on their own but they had insisted that it was no problem for either of them. She had been concerned that they were upending their own lives to be here but both of them had brushed off her concerns. They wanted to be here for her and that was that. She never had been able to win and argument with either of them.

Martha, flitting around the kitchen, was the first to spot her and she smiled warmly.

"Katherine! How are you dear?" Kate watched as Alexis turned around from her place at the counter and granted her a bright smile of her own.

"Fine. But I could use some breakfast. I think the little one is hungry." All three women shared a laugh as Martha made up a plate of pancakes to hand to Kate. She smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Martha."

"Of course, dear. Where's Richard this morning?"

"Oh, he's at the precinct. They caught a case and called him early this morning." Kate caught the looks that Martha and Alexis exchanged. "He asked me if he could. I told him it was all right."

"But you're so close to your due date," Alexis argued. Kate smiled.

"It's fine, Alexis. Really. I don't mind. Besides, Rick and I have been cooped up together too long. Sometimes I just need to get him out of my hair for awhile." The two redheads nodded in agreement, all three women knowing firsthand how aggravating the man in question could be sometimes. They all loved him, as a son, a father, a husband, but sometimes he was too much for those that loved him most. Neither Alexis nor Martha would begrudge Kate for wanting some peace and quiet without Rick.

Breakfast proceeded in comfortable silence and Kate was nearly done with her meal when a sudden pain flashed across her abdomen. Sucking in a deep breath, her hands flew to her bump as she cradled it. Neither of these things went unnoticed as two pairs of eyes flew to her.

"Kate?"

"Katherine? Is everything all right?" Kate nodded through clenched teeth as she waited for the pain to pass. Moments later, she relaxed and looked up at her family.

"I'm fine." The others didn't look convinced. "Really. It's only false labor. It's been happening on and off the last few weeks." As she finished speaking, she felt another quick flash of pain. This time, her stepdaughter and mother-in-law forced the issue.

"Kate, maybe you should go to the hospital." Kate defiantly shook her head.

"I'm fine."

"Katherine, I admire your strength, but please, darling, listen to me." Kate looked Martha right in the eyes. "I don't think this is false labor. I think the baby's coming and we should get you to the hospital. Kate was about to argue but the seriousness and concern in the older woman's eyes quieted that notion.

"Okay. Will…will one of you help me back to the bedroom to change? I can't show up to the hospital in my pajamas." They smiled at her determination.

"Of course dear. Let's go." Martha walked around the counter and took a place by Kate's elbow to help her up. Carefully, she helped walk her back to the bedroom. Martha quickly turned back around and called to her granddaughter. "Alexis? Would you mind calling your father and letting him know what's going on? And can you grab Kate's back and meet us by the door?"

"Will do Grams."

* * *

"Where is he? Where's Rick?" Kate panted out between pains as she lay in the hospital bed.

Martha shook her head. "I don't know dear. Alexis tried calling him but it went straight to voicemail. I'm sure he'll be here in plenty of time." Kate took solace in her mother-in-law's words and tried concentrating on the task at hand. The pain had continued to come and go on the cab ride over and her water had broken not long after they had arrived. She had been immediately whisked away to this room while nurses tended to her and hooked her up to all sorts of monitoring equipment. She had been informed that yes, she was in labor but it wasn't progressing very fast. That was both welcome and distressing news for the mother-to-be. As much as she wanted to just have the kid already, she really didn't want to do it without her husband by her said. _He better show up soon, if he knows what's good for him_.

Moments later, Alexis's head popped in through the doorway.

"Kate! I finally got a hold of Dad. He's on his way now from the precinct. He shouldn't be too much longer." Kate breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Alexis." The younger woman smiled and walked over to stand next to her grandmother at the side of the bed. The next few minutes went by in silence before Martha spoke up.

"I'll go see if Richard's arrived yet." Alexis nodded.

"I'll wait here." Once Martha had departed, Kate looked up at her stepdaughter.

"Alexis? I'm sorry."

"What? Why are you sorry?"

"I know that you're a grown woman with your own life and you have better things to do than being stuck here to take watch over a pregnant lady."

"Kate…"

"I'm sorry that your father and I haven't spent a lot of time with you these last few months. We've been too busy thinking and worrying about the baby."

"Kate…"

"I'm sorry that we're adding another disruption to your life."

"Kate," Alexis stated forcefully, finally causing Kate to look up. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm excited about this, I really am." She smiled. "I love you and Dad and I am so looking forward to meeting my new brother or sister. I am glad this happened. There's no need for you to feel bad about any of this. This is just another change for our family, a happy one. I understand that we haven't been able to spend a lot of time together recently, but that's my fault too. I've been too busy with school and my internship; I haven't really even had much free time to do a lot anyway." Alexis patted Kate's hand soothingly. "I've always admired you, Kate and I am so glad that you are a part of this family and that you are only continuing to add to it. It's a good thing. I can't be upset about any of it, even if I wanted to be." Kate could feel her eyes tearing up.

"Alexis…" The younger woman reached over to give her stepmother a tender hug. They stayed like that until the sound of the door opening startled them apart. Both women looked to the door and breathed twin sighs of relief.

"Dad!"

"Castle!" Kate reached out her hands as Alexis backed away, ostensibly to give the couple their alone time. She walked out of the room to wait with her grandmother in the hallway.

Rick came forward and walked into his wife's arms. He hugged her tight and dropped a loving kiss to the top of her head.

"I wasn't sure if you would get here on time." Rick pulled away and looked her seriously in the eyes.

"I told you I wouldn't miss this moment for anything." Kate smiled at how serious he was. By the finality in his voice, she knew he spoke the truth.

"I'm glad you _didn't_ miss it babe."

"I would have done _anything_ to be here, by your side. Though…I'm pretty sure the staff here might be a little upset with me at the moment." Kate raised her eyebrows in question.

"What did you do, Castle?" Rick hesitated

"I don't think now is the best time to be discussing this, Kate."

"Why? The doctor was just in here and she said I'm still not fully dilated. At the rate it's going, it will probably be a few hours yet. So, spill."

"Well, I was in interrogation with Ryan and Esposito with a suspect from the case when LT interrupted us, saying that Alexis had called the precinct. The boys were a little peeved at the interruption, but when he said that you had gone into labor, I raced out of there as fast as I could. Of course, Gates had to stop me and strongly suggested that I should not be running indoors. Like I'm some kind of child." Rick huffed, a pout on his face and Kate couldn't help but giggle at the irony that her husband did indeed look like some kind of petulant child doing that.

"She's right you know. You could have tripped over a chair or run into a desk or been knocked over by an innocent bystander. I wanted you here at that hospital with me but I wouldn't want it to be as a patient." Admonished by his wife, Rick continued in a more subdued tone.

"Anyway…I told her why I was in such a hurry and Kate…I swear I saw a smile on her face. I've never seen that before. It kinda freaked me out a little bit. But the next thing I knew, it was gone and she was barking orders at some patrol cop to escort me here. The next thing I know, we were in his patrol car racing our way here, with the sirens blazing and everything. It was kind of awesome, actually." His boyish smile returned and Kate's heart melted. "We pulled up right outside and I rushed in here. I'm sure I gave more than a few workers and patients heart attacks with all of the commotion."

"Always have to do things with all the pomp and circumstance, don't you, Castle?" He grinned at her, gripping her hand gently in his.

"I'm here, you're here, my mother and Alexis are here, and soon, our baby will be here. That's all that matters." Kate squeezed his hand as another contraction passed through her. Concern for her washed across his face. "Kate?"

She smiled through the pain. "It's fine Castle. It's only a contraction. They are still pretty far apart." He nodded his head, though his concern hadn't faded. "Why don't we take our minds off of this and you can tell me about this case you're working on. What happened? How did the killer do it? Do you have any other suspects?"

Castle smiled warmly at his wife. Always the cop. Even in the midst of labor.

"Well, when I arrived on scene, there were already quite a few officers there. Of course, the body _was_ found in a doughnut store, so I'm still not sure which ones were actually there for the case. That's gotta be sacrilegious or something…"

Kate relaxed as the pain subsided and she leaned back while her husband rambled on, her hand still gripped firmly in his.

* * *

Hours later, the couple found themselves in the delivery room surrounded by a team of doctors and nurses. Castle, adorned in hospital scrubs, stood patiently at her side, wincing periodically whenever she squeezed his hand as she pushed her way through another labor pain.

"Okay Kate, I can see the head. Push." The doctor's calm voice relaxed both parents slightly and Kate was happy to oblige. She grunted and moaned before slumping back against the pillows at her back. Her sweat-matted hair clung to her forehead and her face was flush from exertion. Her voice was pained as she spoke.

"I don't know if I can do this."

"Of course you can, Kate," Castle's voice reassured her, using his unoccupied hand to brush her hair away from her eyes. "You've been through worse things than this and have come through just fine. This is no different." He kissed her damp forehead.

"Your husband is right, Kate," the doctor agreed. "Yes it hurts now and it doesn't seem like it's ever going to end, but it will. And when it does, you'll have a brand new baby waiting for you. It won't be much longer now. Now, push." Filled with a renewed sense of determination, Kate bore down. "Good. The head's out. Now we just need the shoulders and it will smooth sailing from there."

Kate sat back to relax a moment and catch her breath. Castle took this opportunity to wipe her forehead with a cool cloth. Their eyes caught each other and Kate smiled tiredly.

"Almost there, babe. Are you ready for this?" Castle grinned teasingly back at her.

"Even if I wasn't, don't you think it's a little late now? I mean, it's not like we can return to sender." Her laugh helped settle her a little bit and she looked back towards the doctor at the end of the bed.

"Again." Kate pushed and she felt the doctor gently reposition the baby to clear its shoulders. Once that was done, the doctor spoke up again. "This is it, Kate. One more push should do it."

Kate glanced briefly at Castle and they smiled at one another before she returned her attention to the task at hand. Bearing down with everything she had left in her, she felt a sudden release of pressure as the doctor announced "It's a boy!" She sat back in relief and looked up at her husband. There were what looked like tears in his eyes.

"Castle? Are you crying?" He shook his head.

"No. It's just hot in here…"

"If you say so babe." She focused her attention on the doctors and nurses at the other end of the room attending to her son.

Her son.

Her and Castle's son.

Never in her life would she have imagined finding herself here, like this. Sure, she had dreamed of it as a little girl but as her career path changed and she rose up through the ranks of the NYPD, her dreams had changed. She focused on her career, on getting justice for her victims, on making sure those who committed the wrongs were punished for it. It wasn't until she met the man by her side that she had ever reconsidered having a family. Castle had shown her that it was possible to fall in love again, to get married, to have children, to realize her girlhood dreams. She reached up and pulled her husband down.

"Thank you, Rick," she whispered across his lips.

"For what?"

"For you. For us. For this. Just thank you." He smiled at her mildly incoherent state.

"You're welcome, but I think _I_ should be thanking _you_ for all of that. And more."

"Well, let's just thank each other for everything we have and leave it at that."

"Sounds good to me." The doctor walked back over to the happy couple, a squirming bundle in her arms and a smile on her face.

"I think someone wants to meet his mommy and daddy." She gently placed the baby in Kate's arms and walked off to give the new family some bonding time.

Feeling the weight of her son in her arms, Kate's eyes grew wet. She struggled to speak but no words were forthcoming. Instead, she reached out one finger to trace the contours of his face. His soft cheek and downy hair, what little there was of it, stirred something inside of her and she finally let the dam burst. Happy tears trickled down her face.

"Hello there, little one. I'm your mom." She tilted the baby up slightly and looked at Castle. "And that ruggedly handsome guy there is your dad." She turned her attention back towards the bundle. "Don't worry. He's not as bad as he looks." Letting her finger wander down, she traced his little fingers and grinned when his hand curled around her finger. Castle took the moment to stroke his son's head and Kate noticed the soft, loving smile on his face. She reached up at the same moment that he leaned down and their lips met in a gentle embrace.

Breaking apart, Kate looked at the baby in her arms. "Look at him, Castle. He's perfect."

"Of course he is. He's our kid. Why wouldn't he be?" Kate couldn't help but roll her eyes. "And our perfect little boy needs the perfect name."

"Yes, he does. And I think we both know what that is." She watched as the baby opened his eyes and she was swept away by the blueness of them. "Alexander James Castle."

"Are you sure you don't want his middle name to be Beckett? I wouldn't mind. I've kinda grown attached to the name Beckett."

"Rick, I am not letting our kid go through life with the initials ABC." He shrugged.

"I think it could work." Kate just glared at him and he smiled. "Just kidding, sweetheart." He looked lovingly at his son. "Welcome to the world, Alexander James Castle."

* * *

 **a.n. And there you have it folks! It's been a fun journey and I'm glad to have made it. I thank everyone for the reviews and kind words and follows and favorites. Normally, I try respond to each individual review but due to the quickness of these updates, I had to forego that. So, I will be responding to them after I get this posted. I hope you enjoyed going with me as I took my first steps out into the _Castle_ fandom. As always, I eagerly look forward to your reviews!**

 **Some thoughts:**

 **1\. I have never been pregnant and I haven't really ever been around anyone that ever was. This is the first pregnancy fic I've ever done and I did my best with what knowledge I have about the pregnancy/labor/birth process. Most of what I know about that is what I have read (usually in fanfics), seen on t.v./movies, or heard about in classes. I apologize for any errors in regards to that. I did try to do a little research on the subject and I did use a little of what I learned here. I know it's not perfect, but for brevity's sake in some instances and as a plot device in others, I did take a few shortcuts and artistic license. Please forgive me.**

 **2\. Yes, I always knew the baby was a boy and yes I did have the name picked out before I even started writing this thing. I hope I was able to convince you all that it could have gone either way. I don't know why that name came to me but it did and I had to stick with it. I'm sure you know where the inspiration for it came from. Of course, I also thought about using Beckett as a middle/last name so his name would have been Alexander (James) Beckett Castle, which is when I realized what his initials would be. Which had me laughing madly to myself, so I had to include a line about it.**

 **3\. I wanted to include this in here but I couldn't find a way to make it work so I ultimately had to leave it out. It was in my head from the beginning that the baby would be born on May 12. Why? Because that was the date that "For Better or Worse" originally aired and I thought it would be kinda fun for Caskett to have a baby on what was originally supposed to be their wedding day. At least now they have a reason to celebrate the day.**

 **4\. This story was actually going to be more involved with Kate's pregnancy (hence the research I did on that topic). However, it grew into something a bit different than what I imagined, which is why I chose instead to focus on single moments from each of the nine months. I think it works better that way and I hope you do too.**

 **5\. While I don't really intend on doing another _Castle_ fic, I never know. I have thought about doing a sequel (or I guess an "interquel") to this that focuses on Castle's POV more for these nine months (except chapter 5, which would be Kate's). It's not really planned but if I find people are interested in it, I _might_ consider it.**


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